PRIME MINISTER

Ministerial Visits

Peter Duncan: To ask the Prime Minister when he last visited Galloway and Upper Nithsdale constituency.

Tony Blair: Regrettably, I have been unable to do so, but I hope to visit the hon. Member's constituency at some point in the future.

Ministerial Visits

Joyce Quin: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 16 July 2003 to the question tabled by the right hon. Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West whether it is policy to hold regular meetings with (a) the First Minister of the Scottish Parliament and (b) the First Minister of the National Assembly for Wales.

Tony Blair: I have meetings with both First Ministers on a regular basis, both bilaterally and through the Joint Ministerial Committee.

Media Training

Howard Flight: To ask the Prime Minister what the cost was to his Department of media and voice training for Ministers and officials in each year since 1997.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Minister for the Cabinet Office gave him on 1 September, Official Report, column 693W.

Tibet

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Prime Minister if he will raise the issue of Tibet with the Chinese Government during his forthcoming visit to China.

Tony Blair: I raised human rights with the Chinese Premier, and underlined our interest in an ongoing dialogue with China over human rights issues. I also discussed Tibet with the Chinese leadership, and welcomed recent contact between the Chinese authorities and representatives of the Dalai Lama.

World Trade Organisation

John Barrett: To ask the Prime Minister what his priorities will be at the World Trade Organisation's fifth Ministerial Conference in September; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: We will work for a successful outcome to the current round of world trade negotiations that benefits industrialised and developing countries alike.
	The recent agreement on the issue of affordable medicines for the world's poorest nations is a step in the right direction.
	Our immediate objective now is to secure agreement on a framework for an agreement on agriculture—where the EU has shown its commitment to the Round in agreeing ambitious changes to the CAP.
	We shall also be pressing for progress on reducing non-agricultural tariffs, increasing services liberalisation and agreeing special and differential treatment for developing countries.

TREASURY

Customs and Excise

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what Government spending was on HM Customs and Excise in real terms in each of the last five years.

John Healey: HM Customs and Excise reported their total public spending figures in Table 1 (Total spending for HM Customs & Excise) of Appendix 3 of their Spring Departmental report 2003 (Cm 5924). Actual outturn is reported for the four financial years from 1998–99 to 2001–02.
	No figures are available in comparable resource accounting terms for the financial year 1997–98. The actual resource outturn figure for 2002–03 will be published in Schedule 1 of the Resource Accounts in their annual report this autumn.
	Public spending figures can be adjusted to 2000–01 price levels by applying the Treasury's GDP deflator, as shown in the table.
	
		£ million
		
			 Financial year Actual public spending Real termsspending 
		
		
			 1998–99 897 963 
			 1999–2000 921 965 
			 2000–01 847 868 
			 2001–02 1,106 1,106

Online Tax Assessment

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax filers submitted their self-assessment form electronically using the Inland Revenue's on-line programme in (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01, (c) 2001–02 and (d) 2002–03.

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue received the following number of returns electronically in the following years:
	1999–2000—The number of returns received electronically by the Inland Revenue was 309,510. All of these were received via the Electronic Lodgement Service as the Internet service was not available until 3 July 2000.
	2000–01—The number of returns received electronically by the Inland Revenue was 336,127. 296,837 of these were received via the Electronic Lodgement Service and 39,290 via the Internet Service. 2001–02—The number of returns received electronically by the Inland Revenue was 419,236. 343,009 of these were received via the Electronic Lodgement Service and 76,287 via the Internet Service.
	2002–03—The number of tax returns received electronically by the Inland Revenue was 705,690. 370,051 of these were received via the Electronic Lodgement Service and 335,639 via the Internet service.

Online Tax Assessment

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of UK tax-filers submitted their self-assessment form electronically using the Inland Revenue's on-line programme in the tax year 2002–03.

Dawn Primarolo: 7.8 per cent. of taxpayers submitted their Self Assessment forms electronically in the tax year 2002–03. 3.71 per cent. (335,639) used the Inland Revenue's Internet service and 4.09 per cent. (370,051) used the Inland Revenue's Electronic Lodgement Service.

Online Tax Assessment

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Government's target for take-up of the Inland Revenue's self-assessment on-line programme by UK tax-filers was in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03; what it is for the 2003–04 tax period; and how these targets were derived.

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue does not have specific targets for each year.
	The Inland Revenue Public Service Agreement 2003–2006 posted on the Inland Revenue Internet site on 14 February 2003 sets out the targets for electronic filing.
	The Inland Revenue has set a target of 25 per cent. of SA returns filed electronically by 2005–06 (i.e. 2.2 million of 8.8 million returns), including but not differentiating those filed by agents. Electronically means Filing by Internet Service (FBI) or Electronic Lodgement Service (ELS).

Online Tax Assessment

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how HM Treasury is determining the value for money paid for the Inland Revenue's self-assessment on-line system.

Dawn Primarolo: Determining the value for money of an individual project is the responsibility of the department implementing it.

Online Tax Assessment

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether an evaluation of the Inland Revenue's self-assessment on-line programme will be included in the review of the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise announced on 2nd July.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare (Brian Cotter) on 2 July 2003, Official Report, column 270W.

Online Tax Assessment

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how much HM Treasury allocated to the marketing of the Government's e-agenda for the Inland Revenue's self assessment on-line programme in (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01, (c) 2001–02 and (d) 2002–03;
	(2)  how much HM Treasury spent on the marketing of the Government's e-agenda for the Inland Revenue's self assessment on-line programme in (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01, (c) 2001–02 and (d) 2002–03.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers given to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) in January 2003, Official Report, column 1061–63W and to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) in May 2002, Official Report, column 36W that detail all Treasury departments' marketing communications spend for the period, including for Self Assessment.
	The annual Self-Assessment campaign includes the promotion of the online service as part of a wider package.
	The three main messages of the campaign are: file by the due deadline, file early and file online. Most advertising will carry a combination of these messages accompanied by information about the support available but broadly speaking, around a third of the campaign effort is weighted toward e-filing messages, with online (internet) advertising concentrating on this issue.

Online Tax Assessment

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what role he plans for the private sector in assisting the Government to meet its targets for take-up of the Inland Revenue self-assessment on-line programme.

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue has worked closely with relevant parts of the Private Sector since the SA on-line programme was introduced. The filing product was created in close consultation with the software industry and equal prominence is given to third party software products on the Inland Revenue Website.
	An advertisement was published in May in "Government Opportunities" encouraging potential SA filing partners to come forward, and various joint initiatives are currently being worked on with independent software vendors, payroll companies and financial organisations.

Online Tax Assessment

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how his Department is evaluating the results being achieved with regard to the percentage of UK tax-filers submitting their self-assessment form electronically using the Inland Revenue's on-line programme against the Government's pre-set targets.

Dawn Primarolo: The Public Service Agreement 2003–06 sets out the targets for electronic filing. The Inland Revenue has set a target of 25 per cent. of SA returns filed electronically by 2005–06, including but not differentiating those filed by agents. Electronically means Filing by Internet (FBI) or Electronic Lodgement Service (ELS).
	The Inland Revenue counts the total number of returns received and how many of these have been received electronically to monitor its progress against the target.
	The achievement of the target will be assessed and reported annually and subject to validation by the Inland Revenue's Internal Audit Office.

Online Tax Assessment

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the actual per-return cost to HM Treasury was of the Inland Revenue's self assessment on-line in (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01, (c) 2001–02 and (d) 2002–03 with regard to electronic tax filing; and what the projected cost is for the 2003–04 tax year.

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue's on-line service for Self-Assessment Tax Returns went live in 2000–01 (on 3rd July 2000).
	The "per return" costs were:
	
		
			  £ per return 
		
		
			 2000–01 187.83 
			 2001–02 105.93 
			 2002–03 33.13 
		
	
	The projected "per return" cost for 2003–04 is £16.35 per return.

Tax Changes

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library an estimate of the impact on the level of income of a transfer of all changes in the total level of taxation since 1997 to income tax, broken down by households with annual incomes of up to (a) £30,000, (b) £50,000, (c) £75,000 and (d) above £75,000.

Dawn Primarolo: There are many ways in which income tax increments or decrements equivalent to changes in current receipts since 1997 could be represented. These include raising or lowering one or more of the income tax allowances, increasing or reducing one or more of the tax rates or the size of an income band to which that rate applies and introducing new lower or higher rate bands or allowances. The impact on households with very different annual incomes would very much depend on which approach was adopted.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Business Rating System

Brian White: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress has been made in the review of the business rating system as it applies to communications infrastructure.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	Representatives from industry, DTI, ODPM, Oftel and the Valuation Office Agency have met. The Department will now set in motion procedures to appoint a person or persons to carry out further analysis.

Environmental Impact Appraisals

John Horam: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many of the Department's policies have been screened for their environmental impact since June 2001; how many environmental appraisals have been conducted, and on what policy issues; and what information has been published about these screenings and appraisals.

Keith Hill: All Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's policies are screened for their impacts in a range of areas, including environmental impacts.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has to date published no free-standing environmental appraisals of its policies.

Sunderland Football Club

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which Minister will determine the appeal by Sunderland Football Club against the refusal by the local planning authority to permit development of its training centre.

Keith Hill: Sunderland Association Football Club have applied for planning permission for an indoor training barn, student hostel, groundsman's store and perimeter fencing at Whitburn Moor, Cleadon. My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has recovered for his own determination four related appeals made by Sunderland AFC against refusal of planning permission and one further application for planning permission which was called-in by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister to be considered at the same time as the appeals.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the ethnic make-up is of the new Afghan National Army.

Mike O'Brien: We do not receive detailed breakdowns of personnel who have passed through the US-led Afghan National Army training programme. But indications from earlier this year were that about half of those trained were Tajiks, around a quarter Pashtuns and the remainder split fairly evenly between Uzbeks and Hazaras.

Afghanistan

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is being done to promote the rights of (a) women and (b) children in the new constitution of Afghanistan.

Mike O'Brien: The Afghan Constitutional Commission was convened on 25 April. Its 35 members (including 7 women) are tasked with providing a draft constitution, overseeing preparations for a Constitutional Loya Jirga later this year which will adopt it, and ensuring that the public are informed of—and involved in—the process. The UK has given £500,000 to support a UN-led process of popular consultation to ensure that as many Afghans as possible are able to engage in public debate. The Commission has also met with the Ministry for Women's Affairs, a number of women's NGOs, the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and other civil society groups to discuss how to incorporate women's and children's rights into the draft constitution.

Afghanistan

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action is being taken to reduce the level of violence in Afghanistan.

Mike O'Brien: Coalition operations against extremist elements in Afghanistan are ongoing, especially in the south. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) continues to help maintain security in Kabul. Four Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) have deployed to regional centres to help extend the authority of central government, improve the security environment and facilitate reconstruction. These include the UK PRT in Mazar-e Sharif, which is helping to reduce tensions between rival regional commanders. Efforts to establish a new, multi-ethnic Afghan National Army and reform the police are continuing. The UK is helping train Afghan NCOs and developing a police crime scene investigation capability.

British Exports

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the occasions since 1997 when Ministers from his Department have accompanied British firms on visits overseas to promote export marketing and sales, indicating the name of the Minister and the country visited in each case.

Mike O'Brien: Information on such visits is not recorded centrally in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Burma

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Governments of (i) Thailand, (ii) China, (iii) Japan and (iv) Vietnam and (b) the United Nations regarding the arrest and detention of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Mike O'Brien: We take advantage of regular bilateral and multilateral contacts with all Asian nations, including Thailand, China, Japan and Vietnam to press for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, national reconciliation and an improvement in Burma's human rights record. From my discussions at the Asia-Europe (ASEM) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Bali in July it was clear that Burma's international isolation is growing. We are also in discussion with the appropriate bodies of the UN on how to take these matters forward.

Child Protection

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action is being taken by the Government to protect (a) child workers, (b) sexually exploited children and (c) child victims of trafficking in (i) Africa, (ii) Asia, (iii) the Pacific, (iv) Latin America, (v) the Caribbean and (vi) the Middle East.

Bill Rammell: The Government are committed to the promotion and protection of child rights worldwide. We urge all countries to ratify and implement the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which sets the standard for guaranteeing children's rights and contains specific provisions on child labour, trafficking and protection from sexual abuse. The FCO's Human Rights Project Fund is currently funding over £450,000 worth of practical projects with local NGOs to tackle these and other child rights issues. Details are available at www.fco.gov.uk/humanrights.
	In addition, the Department for International Development provides substantial financial and technical assistance to the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour. This campaign aims to achieve universal ratification and implementation of ILO Conventions 138 on Minimum Age for Employment and 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour, which include trafficking and prostitution.

China

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had and intends to have with the Chinese Government regarding (a) the occupation of and (b) human rights abuses in Tibet.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised our concerns about Tibet with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing on 25 June and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister discussed Tibet with the Chinese leadership during his recent visit to China.
	We remain concerned about the human rights situation in Tibet and continue to urge China to enter into dialogue with the Dalai Lama's representatives. We have welcomed the recent visits to China by representatives of the Dalai Lama.

Defence Exports

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 14 July 2003, Official Report, columns 47–48W, how many meetings were attended by his Department's Ministers to promote the export of British defence equipment with officials from (a) Chile, (b) India, (c) Singapore, (d) Czech Republic, (e) Slovakia and (f) Tanzania in (i) 2002 and (ii) 2003; what equipment was discussed; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Many of the occasions during which Ministers discuss UK-origin defence equipment with representatives of foreign governments do not form part of formal meetings. It is not therefore possible to provide figures about the number of meetings concerned. Disclosure of the types of equipment concerned may infringe on commercial confidentiality or provide sensitive information on the defence procurement strategies of foreign countries. I am withholding this information under exemptions 1 and 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

European Constitution

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the envisaged primacy given to European legislation over UK legislation in the draft European Constitution will override the authority of the European Communities Act 1972.

Denis MacShane: The principle of the primacy of Community law has been central to the operation of the EU since its earliest days. This principle prevents countries from going back on obligations they have made to one another. It is an integral part of the obligations of our EU membership—as it is for all Member States. It is already enshrined in UK law by Section 2 of the European Communities Act 1972.

George Atkinson

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what instructions have been given to his officials in Dubai in connection with the forthcoming release of Mr. George Atkinson from prison; whether Mr. Atkinson will be met by Foreign Office officials on his release; who will be responsible for booking his return flight to the UK and ensuring that he has the necessary travel documents; and on what date he expects Mr.Atkinson to be released.

Chris Mullin: Mr. Atkinson was released from prison on 1 September and was deported to the UK. Officials at our Embassy in Dubai were in touch with the prison authorities to ensure that the necessary arrangements for Mr. Atkinson's return to the UK were in place. Our Vice Consul met Mr. Atkinson at Dubai airport and accompanied him throughout the deportation process to his flight.

Guantanamo Bay

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made a request to the US Administration for the repatriation of British detainees held in Camp Delta, to face, if the evidence justifies, trial in the UK.

Chris Mullin: We are pressing the US authorities to move forward with the process of determining the future of the British detainees at Guantanamo Bay. We have discussed, and are discussing, a range of options with the US, including the possibility of repatriation.

Indonesia

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will urge the Indonesian Government to withdraw all non-West Papuan troops and Brimob special forces from West Papua.

Mike O'Brien: The Indonesian Government are within their territorial rights to deploy Indonesian troops and police throughout their country to counter any aggressive external and internal threats. However, we have stressed to the Indonesian Government that any action undertaken in respect to their territorial rights must respect human rights and be in accordance with international law.
	There are a number of areas in Indonesia where the levels of violence raise issues, including Papua. The origins of such conflicts vary and are complex: some are inter-ethnic or inter-religious while others may have economic causes. Our message to the Indonesian Government is clear and consistent: long-term stability can only be achieved through political negotiation and consultation within Indonesia. Together with our European partners, we are in regular, top-level dialogue with the Indonesian Government, and urge them to maintain law and order and promote reconciliation in order to ensure the territorial integrity of Indonesia.
	We are implementing a strategy to tackle the causes of conflict and are working with EU and other partners to help Indonesia build capacity to analyse and respond effectively to outbreaks of violence.

Iran

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the Government take to monitor the end-use of the dual-use equipment that was licensed for export to Iran during 2000, including toxic chemicals; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The Government issued 3 export licences in 2000 for the proposed export of toxic chemical precursors to Iran for use in the oil industry. All were assessed rigorously against the consolidated criteria, which take account of the risk of diversion to undesirable end-users.
	Our overseas posts have standing instructions to report on any allegation of misuse of UK-origin equipment.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library copies of regulations and orders made by the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq.

Bill Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to the website www.cpa-iraq.org/regulations where all the Coalition Provisional Authority Orders and Regulations are available.

Moazzam Begg

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received letters sent to him on (a) 6 and (b) 9 July by solicitors representing Mr. Moazzam Begg.

Chris Mullin: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office received two letters dated 6 July and 9 July from Mr. Begg's solicitors. My hon. Friend the Minister for Europe replied to the letter dated 9 July on 21 August. A substantive response to the 6 July letter will be sent shortly.

Moazzam Begg

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with US officials concerning the possibility of Mr. Moazzam Begg and Mr. Feroz Abbasi standing trial in a US civil court; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Mr. Begg and Mr. Abbasi have been designated as eligible to stand trial before a Military Commission, but have not yet been charged.
	The Attorney-General has recently held a number of rounds of talks with the US Administration. His objective has been to ensure that the British nationals detained at Guantanamo Bay, if prosecuted, are assured of fair trials that meet generally recognised principles, wherever those trials take place, and to make clear our opposition to the death penalty. We are discussing a number of options with the US Government. Further talks are planned for the near future.

Moldova

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals there are for an EU peacekeeping force to be deployed to Transdniestria in Moldova.

Denis MacShane: There are currently no proposals for an EU peacekeeping force to be deployed to Transdniestria in Moldova. The EU is working to support the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe's efforts to reach a constitutional settlement.
	In the event the political talks make sufficient progress towards a settlement, the international community, including the EU, will need to consider the options for any potential stabilisation force.

Western Sahara

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Morocco concerning recent court judgements affecting the peoples of the Western Sahara.

Bill Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave him on 9 July 2003, Official Report, column 820W, 11 July 2003 Official Report, column 1056W and 14 July 2003, Official Report, column 51W.
	Officials in Rabat have raised concerns over court judgments affecting the peoples of the Western Sahara with the Moroccan Government. We continue to monitor the situation in Western Sahara and raise specific cases with the relevant authorities where appropriate.

HEALTH

Abortions

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women have died in each of the last 10 years as a direct result of unsafe abortions; and what steps the Government is taking to reduce the number of deaths caused by unsafe abortions.

Melanie Johnson: Maternal deaths associated with termination of pregnancy that were reported to the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths for the period 1991 to 1999, are shown in the table. The data for 2000 to 2002 are not yet available.
	The Abortion Act 1967 requires a pregnancy to be terminated by a registered medical practitioner. The General Medical Council's (GMC) Duties of a doctor include making the care of the patient the first concern, keeping professional knowledge and skills up to date and recognising the limits of professional competence. Where there is evidence that a doctor is not fit to practise, the GMC is able to suspend or erase a doctor from the register or place conditions on their registration, As part of each hospital's clinical governance framework, all adverse events, including deaths, are investigated and lessons learned, and any appropriate action taken. In addition, the Commission for Health Improvement and the National Care Standards Commission monitor patient care in the National Health Service and independent sector respectively.
	
		Maternal deaths associated with termination of pregnancy;United Kingdom 1991–99
		
			 Triennium Number of deaths from termination of pregnancy(1) Number of these associated with substandard care(1) 
		
		
			 1997–99 2 0 
			 1994–96 1 1 
			 1991–93 5 3 
		
	
	(1) Figures are from the reports of the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths in the United Kingdom for the relevant triennium.
	Notes:
	1. From 1991–93 these deaths were defined as occurring before 20 weeks of pregnancy. From 1994, 24 weeks was used as the upper gestational limit. Thus comparisons of the data between triennia may be inappropriate.
	2. There were around 500,000 abortions in the United Kingdom in each three-year period and hence the number of deaths represents less than 0.0001 per cent, of all abortions carried out.

"Agenda for Change"

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the proposed new pay system for NHS employees, under "Agenda for Change".

John Hutton: "Agenda for Change" has been negotiated over the past four years by staff and management representatives working in partnership. Following the conclusion of the union consultation exercise, agreement was reached through the Central Negotiating Group, which includes the four United Kingdom Health Departments, unions and employer representatives, to move to the next phase of testing "Agenda for Change" in early implemented sites. This commenced in June 2003 in 12 sites identified in England, which were selected in partnership with the unions. This phase will provide the opportunity to address any concerns that might arise, through the Central Negotiating Group and when formed, the new National Health Service staff council, with a view to national implementation in October 2004. These sites are being supported by the Modernisation Agency and will develop effective models of implementation for the breadth of organisations represented. All the nationally recognised staff organisations will be represented on the proposed NHS Staff Council.
	We anticipate that NHS Foundation Trusts will begin the "Agenda for Change" implementation process in April 2004 and that all staff in NHS Foundation Trusts will be guaranteed the opportunity of moving to the new pay system.

Alcohol Advertising

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on alcohol advertising.

Melanie Johnson: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit, in close collaboration with other Government departments, including the Department of Health, is currently developing the national alcohol harm reduction strategy. The Strategy Unit is due to publish an interim analysis of the harms associated with alcohol misuse later this year. The final report, which will set out the cross-Governmental alcohol harm reduction strategy, is planned for publication later this year.
	As part of this project, the Strategy Unit and the Sponsor Minister, the Minister for Crime Reduction, Policing and Community, my hon. Friend the Member for Salford (Ms Blears), have had ongoing discussions with all relevant stakeholders. The final report will consider a wide variety of issues concerning alcohol misuse, including alcohol advertising.

Community Pharmacies

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will make a statement on the Government's policy on community pharmacies.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on Thursday 17 July 2003, Official Report, columns 76–79WS.

Compensation Claims

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of operation care complainants have brought compensation claims in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally by the Department of Health. The information that is requested can only be supplied at disproportionate cost to the request.
	The present situation is that National Health Service complaints and clinical negligence claims are handled separately. Once a patient who has made a complaint indicates that they are seeking legal action linked to the complaint, then the complaint is halted until the case is resolved through litigation, withdrawn or settlement reached with the trust or NHS Litigation Authority.
	However, a review of the way clinical negligence claims and complaints are handled in the NHS is currently under way. The recently published Chief Medical Officer's report, "Making Amends", sets out a number of recommendations to reform the way clinical negligence cases are handled in the NHS, including the removal of the rule which requires a complaint to be halted pending resolution of a claim to encourage closer alignment between the claims and complaints.

Departmental Entertainment

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent by (a) ministers and (b) Departmental special advisers on food and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for entertainment purposes since March 2002.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the response given to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on Monday 27 January 2003, Official Report, column 673W. The total amount spent by the Department of Health on hospitality in 2002–03 is £125,000.
	Departmental information systems do not classify expenditure by Ministers, special advisers or other employment category, nor do information systems provide a detailed breakdown of food and drink.

Food Supplements

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 8 July 2003, Official Report, column 776W, on the Food Supplement Directive, if he will make it his policy to add nutrients to the list of permitted ingredients included in dossiers submitted to the European Food Safety Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: The lists of permitted vitamins and minerals and their sources in annexes I and II to the directive remain open pending safety assessments for additional substances. Dossiers of information supporting safety may be submitted to the European Food Safety for assessment. In the case of amendments to the permitted lists in the directive, Schedules 1 or 2 to The Food Supplements Regulations (England) 2003 will be amended accordingly.

Food Supplements

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 11 July, Official Report, column 1041W, on natural supplements, what plans he has to press for changes in the regulations to ensure that the maximum permitted levels of nutrients in supplements are set on the basis of safety and not nutritional need; what assessment he has made of the impact of this issue to the British specialist food industry; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: While the Food Supplements Directive sets out principles for setting maximum limits for vitamins and minerals in food supplements, no such limits have yet been set. The principles in Article 5 of the directive state that maximum levels should be set based on scientific risk assessment and intake from dietary sources other than food supplements as well as taking account of reference nutrient intakes. The Government continues to argue for maximum permitted limits for vitamins and minerals in food supplements to be set on the basis of thorough risk assessments and will continue to press this view strongly at every opportunity.
	During negotiations on the Directive and when drafting the Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003, the Food Standards Agency consulted with a wide range of stakeholders. The potential impacts of the Regulations on the specialist food industry are summarised in the Regulatory Impact Assessment accompanying the Regulations, which are available in the Library.

General Practitioners

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what compensation is paid to GPs who lose their right to dispense;
	(2)  what plans he has to reform regulations that permit the removal of the right to dispense from a GP.

Rosie Winterton: General practitioners do not normally receive compensation if they are no longer required to dispense National Health Service prescriptions. Primary care trusts can make transitional arrangements to ensure an orderly winding-down of such dispensing services.
	The Government has no plans to change the conditions under which certain GPs can dispense NHS prescriptions. However, in our response to the Health Select Committee Fifth Report, The Control of Entry Regulations and Retail Pharmacy Services in the UK (Cm 5896) on 17 July 2003, we said that we would invite medical and pharmacy representative bodies to look again at existing proposals to reform the rules governing rural NHS dispensing.
	We are setting up an advisory group to advise on how best to implement a series of changes we are proposing to current NHS dispensing rules. We published further details on 29 August 2003 in Proposals to Reform and Modernise the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 1992. A copy has been placed in the Library. We will also ask the group to consider the results of the representative bodies' consideration of their proposals for reforming the rules governing rural NHS dispensing.

Hip Fractures

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people suffered a hip fracture (a) recorded as a first episode and (b) recorded as a second episode in each of the last five years; and what the cost was in each case.

John Hutton: Table one shows the number of hip fractures, which were recorded as a first and second episode in each of the last five years. Table two shows the average cost of the procedure, taken from the Published National Schedule of Reference Costs. Data are available from 2000. The cost excludes any elements of critical care services that might have been be used by a patient.
	Table 1
	
		Finished Consultant Episodes (FCEs) where a hip fracture was recorded as the main diagnosis
		
			  Year 
			 Episode Order 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 1 40,083 41,956 43,030 41,691 42,367 
			 2 5,004 5,304 5,732 5,919 7,177 
		
	
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) Department of Health, England.
	
		Table 2
		
			 Mean Average £ 
			 Condition 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Neck of femur Fracture >69 years old or with complications and comorbidities 3,669 3,818 4,200 
			 Neck of Femur Fracture <70 years old or without complications and comorbidities 2,946 2,956 3,137 
		
	
	Source:
	Published National Schedule of Reference Costs.

Laser Eye Surgery

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations have been received by his Department from (a) the Medical Protection Society and (b) the Royal College of Ophthalmologists on (i) guidance for and (ii) regulation of individuals involved in the provision of laser eye surgery.

Rosie Winterton: The Department of Health has not received any representations from either the Medical Protection Society or the Royal College of Ophthalmologists concerning guidance and regulation in the provision of laser eye surgery. We are, however, aware that there are concerns regarding laser surgery.
	Laser eye surgery in England is regulated by the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC). Providers of laser eye surgery are required to be registered with the NCSC and to comply with national minimum standards set by them. Providers must keep records for the NCSC of each surgical procedure undertaken, including accidents or adverse events. They are also subject to annual inspections by the NCSC.
	The NCSC is currently monitoring development in the area of laser eye surgery and should any evidence emerge that further regulation of this procedure is required, it would be considered in order to further protect service users.

Mental Health

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what representations he has received on the need for a Mental Incapacity Bill; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposals in the draft Mental Incapacity Bill on the lives of (a) people with dementia and (b) their carers; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: A draft Mental Incapacity Bill was published by the Department for Constitutional Affairs on 27 June. It is currently subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by a Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament. Letters received in the Department of Health about the draft Bill are being fed into the scrutiny process.
	The need for a Bill on Mental Incapacity was raised by many who responded to consultation on the draft Mental Health Bill, which was published in June 2002. The draft Mental Incapacity Bill aims to provide a better decision-making framework for people who are unable to make some decisions for themselves and those that care for them. The Department of Health is working closely with colleagues in the Department for Constitutional Affairs to make sure that the Bill addresses the needs of all vulnerable adults, including people with dementia and those who look after them, whether informal carers or professionals in health or social care services.

David Kelly

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when over the past two years Mr. David Kelly has met Mr. Andrew Gilligan of the BBC.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 17 July 2003
	I have been asked to reply.
	My hon. Friend will understand why it was not possible to answer this question on the day named. These matters are now being addressed by Lord Hutton's inquiry.
	The information requested has been passed to the inquiry. Lord Hutton will publish his report in due course. I am therefore withholding the information under Exemption 4a of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Radiotherapy

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what average length of time patients in each health authority had to wait for radiotherapy cancer treatment in (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02.

Melanie Johnson: Information on waiting times for radiotherapy is not collected centrally. However, the NHS Cancer Plan sets out maximum waiting time targets for first definitive cancer treatment, which includes radiotherapy when it is the first treatment. From December 2001, there is a one month maximum wait from diagnosis to first treatment for breast cancer and a one month wait from urgent general practitioner referral to first treatment for children's cancers, testicular cancer and acute leukaemia. From 2002 there is a maximum two-month wait from urgent referral to treatment for breast cancer. By 2005 there will be a maximum two months from urgent referral to treatment and a maximum one-month wait from diagnosis to first treatment for all cancers.
	In order to tackle radiotherapy waiting times, we have increased the number of radiographers in post by 9.2 per cent. and numbers in training by 55 per cent. since 1977. We are making better use of existing staff by establishing new roles for radiographers, which can open up new career opportunities and improve retention. We are also making unprecedented investment in new radiotherapy facilities, with 61 new and replacement linear accelerators delivered to the national health service since April 2000. In addition, we are streamlining the patient's route to treatment through the Cancer Services Collaborative.

Waiting Lists/Times

George Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have waited more than (a) three months, (b) six months, (c) nine months and (d) 12 months for elective admissions in each year since 1997.

John Hutton: The table shows the length of time a patient waited for an elective finished in-year admission from 1997–98 to 2001–02, which is the latest year for which figures are available.
	
		Elective Finished In-Year Admissions, Waiting List and Booked Cases: Finished Consultant Episodes—NHS Hospitals England, 1997–98 to 2001–02
		
			 Length of time patient waited 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			  
			  
			 More than 3 months 1,134,491 1,307,371 1,147,551 1,133,824 1,155,138 
			 More than 6 months 601,994 723,520 592,752 587,714 604,109 
			 More than 9 months 356,778 445,320 349,472 343,787 354,641 
			 More than 12 months 183,506 245,884 189,565 186,096 188,023 
		
	
	Source
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health
	There is a clear pattern of significant reduction demonstrated in the waiting time information at the end of March 2003. Across all the time bands there have been significant reductions in the number of patients waiting compared to March 1997. This reduction is most apparent in the number of over 12 month waiters, where a total of only 103 patients were waiting at the end of March 2003.
	Source: Department of Health form QF01 Notes: A finished consultant episode is defined as a period of patient care under one consultant in one health care provider. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as one person may have several episodes within the year. Figures in this table have not yet been adjusted for shortfalls in data. Waiting time statistics from HES are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and waiting times for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment at a given point in time and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the waiting time as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension.

Written Questions

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he has taken to improve procedures for answering written parliamentary questions by his Department since 1st April 2002.

Rosie Winterton: Significant changes have been made to these procedures within the Department since 1 April 2002. The parliamentary section responsible for overseeing them has been substantially reorganised and a new database has been introduced to help drive and monitor the process. This was immediately made available to all departmental staff; its predecessor having been solely for use by the parliamentary section. It records each stage of the answering procedure, provides a transparent means of checking precisely where a question is in the process and helps to identify and clear blockages in the system.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Olympic Games

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department has had to ensure that sufficient hotel accommodation will be available for visitors to the capital, should the Olympic Games be held in London in 2012.

Tessa Jowell: The assessment of the cost and benefit implications of bidding for and staging the Olympics and Paralympic Games in London in 2012 undertaken by Arup in May 2003 estimated the average daily room requirement during an Olympic Games as between 80,000 and 145,000. Drawing on London Tourist Board figures, Arup also projected up to 200,000 rooms in hotels/guest houses as potentially available within International Olympic Committee (IOC) visitor travel time requirements of one hour.
	Detailed information on accommodation is required by the IOC for the applicant city questionnaire, and London 2012 Ltd., the company set up to prepare the Olympic bid, will be undertaking further work to verify and refine these figures over the coming months.

Olympic Games

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her estimate is of the total cost of a London Olympic Games; and how it is proposed that it will be financed, broken down by source in each year.

Tessa Jowell: The consultants Arup estimated the costs of a London Olympics at £3.6 billion with expected revenues of £2.5 billion. This implied a net public subsidy of £1.1 billion. The Government and the Mayor have agreed a funding package of up to £2.375 billion, allowing a generous contingency, including up to £1.5 billion from the lottery and up to £625 million from a London Olympics Council Tax. As is explained in the Memorandum of Understanding, which was included in the Government response to the Select Committee Report, "A London Olympic Bid for 2012" (HC 268), ref. Cm 5867:
	"The flow of funds will depend on the organisations that are nominated to deliver various aspects of the Games. These details have not yet been fully worked up. Because rises or falls in one sector of Olympic cost may be offset in another sector it is not possible to completely earmark particular strands of funding to discrete objects. Within that, the broad intention is that Lottery funding should be primarily directed to sports investment, Olympic facilities and event staging and that money raised from the Olympic precept should address capital requirements of the Games including transport infrastructure."

Olympic Games

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her estimate is of the total change in money available to existing good causes as a result of the establishment of special Olympic lottery games.

Tessa Jowell: Preliminary estimates provided by Camelot, and assessed by the National Lottery Commission, suggest that any reduction of income to the existing good causes from Olympic lottery games would be small—approximately 4 per cent. for the remainder of the Camelot licence period (until 2009). Each game will be subject to approval by the NLC, and in designing the games, Camelot will seek to minimise the effect on the core lottery games.

Parthenon Sculptures

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she next plans to meet representatives of the Greek Government to discuss the return of the Parthenon sculptures to Greece.

Estelle Morris: The Government has no such plans. We have advised the Greek Government that the Parthenon Sculptures are a matter for the Trustees of the British Museum. The museum is independent of government.

Schools (Physical Exercise)

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what percentage of schoolchildren in the UK participate in a minimum of two hours of physical exercise at school each week;
	(2)  what steps she is taking to promote participation in sports by schoolchildren (a) during games lessons and (b) after school.

Richard Caborn: The Government is investing more than £1 billion in England to transform physical education and school sport. This funding will help deliver an ambitious Public Service Agreement target, shared by DCMS and DfES, to increase the percentage of school children who spend a minimum of two hours each week on high-quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum to 75 per cent. by 2006. Currently, about a third of schools provide this entitlement at Key Stage 1, two fifths at Key Stage 2 and a third at each of Key Stages 3 and 4.

Tourism

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether tourism in the UK has grown as an industry in each of the last 10 years; how many people are employed in tourism in the UK; and what percentage of GDP is accounted for by the tourism industry.

Richard Caborn: The available data on annual expenditure by domestic and foreign tourists in the UK over the last 10 years are shown in the table.
	
		Annual expenditure by domestic and foreign tourists in the UK for each of the last 10 years -- £ million
		
			  Expenditure by foreign tourists in the UK Expenditure by UK tourists in the UK Total expenditure by tourists in the UK 
		
		
			 1993 9,487 (2)— (2)— 
			 1994 9,786 (2)— (2)— 
			 1995 11,763 20,072 31,835 
			 1996 12,290 22,041 34,331 
			 1997 12,244 24,137 36,381 
			 1998 12,671 22,814 35,485 
			 1999 12,498 25,635 38,133 
			 2000 12,805 26,133 38,938 
			 2001 11,306 26,094 37,400 
			 2002 11,859 26,699 38,558 
		
	
	(2) Not available
	Sources:
	International Passenger Survey
	UK Tourism Survey
	While there has been a generally increasing trend in the value of UK tourism expenditure over the past 10 years, it has not increased every year. In particular, tourism expenditure since 2000 has been affected by the foot and mouth epidemic, the SARS virus and the war with Iraq.
	It is estimated that 2.1 million people are employed in the tourism-related industries.
	It is also estimated that the tourism industry accounts for approximately 4.5 per cent. of UK GDP.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Written Constitution

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if the Lord Chancellor will draft a written constitution for the United Kingdom.

Christopher Leslie: There are no plans to draft an overarching codified constitution for the United Kingdom.

Supreme Court

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if the Secretary of State will make it his policy for the proposed Supreme Court to sit outside London when considering devolution issues.

Christopher Leslie: As my hon. Friend is aware, we are currently consulting on the role that the Supreme Court will have in considering devolution issues. In parallel, we are also looking at where the court should be accommodated and whether it should have the power to sit outside London when considering devolution issues.

Judicial Reform

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the priorities within the Department's modernisation programme for ensuring better service delivery in the courts.

Christopher Leslie: The primary purpose of the departmental change agenda is to improve delivery to the public by the Court Service and the other agencies of the Department. This purpose underpins our plans for a unified court administration and the constitutional reforms announced in June.

Domestic Violence

Mike Hancock: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment he has made of the need to provide access to legal aid to victims of domestic violence.

David Lammy: Domestic violence proceedings are a high priority for the Department for Constitutional Affairs and the Legal Services Commission (LSC). The LSC's funding code criteria allow such cases to be funded more widely than most other family and non-family areas. This gives the victim of domestic violence the means to secure various remedies against the other party. The latest available figure for expenditure on domestic violence (civil representation) for the financial year 2002 to 2003 is £53.4 million.
	The LSC has Regional Legal Services Committees who are tasked with assessing legal need regionally on an on-going basis. The Yorkshire and Humberside Committee have undertaken a project with the aim of developing good practice in identifying and addressing the legal advice needs of victims of domestic violence in the context of the Community Legal Service (CLS). The Legal Service Regional Committee's Periodic Survey of Justiciable Problems are publishing a research report in the next issue of the Family Law Journal which addresses the issue of legal need in domestic violence cases and examines the strategy needed to encourage victims to seek remedies.

Gender Recognition Bill

Ben Chapman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the draft Gender Recognition Bill.

David Lammy: As Lord Filkin announced on 11 July this year the Government have published the draft Gender Recognition Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny by the Joint Committee on Human Rights. On 17 July the Joint Committee issued a call for evidence to be submitted to it by 11 September. The Government looks forward to receiving the report of the Joint Committee and to introducing the Bill to Parliament as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Media Training

Howard Flight: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the cost was to the Lord Chancellor's Department of media and voice training for Ministers and officials in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: The cost to my Department (including the former Lord Chancellor's Department) of media and voice training for Ministers and officials in each year since 1997 was as follows:
	
		
			 Year £ 
		
		
			 1997–98 (3)— 
			 1998–99 0 
			 1999–2000 1,762.50 
			 2000–01 2,625 
			 2001–02 0 
			 2002–03 0 
			 2003–04 (4)0 
		
	
	(3) Figures not available
	(4) To date
	Figures for 1997–98 are not readily available because communications group accounts were not kept separately from the then LCD corporate services accounts.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

AS-levels

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total cost of setting and marking AS-level examinations in all subjects was in each year between 2000 and 2003.

David Miliband: The answer can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Ofsted

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the level of higher education funding in Wales was in present day prices in each year since 1979.

Don Touhig: I have been asked to reply.
	The following table provides figures on Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) funding by financial year from 1993–94 to 1998–99.
	HEFCW assumed responsibility for funding HE in Wales in April 1993, and figures prior to 1993 are not available on a comparable basis.
	The National Assembly for Wales assumed overall responsibility for HE funding in Wales on 1 July 1999, and figures beyond this date are not held by the Wales Office.
	
		HEFCW funding from National Assembly for Wales/Welsh Office (inc. running costs and grants to HEIs) -- £000
		
			  Current prices Constant(2002–03) prices 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1993–94 179,200 225,607 
			 1994–95 232,497 288,877 
			 1995–96 242,465 292,913 
			 1996–97 243,522 285,148 
			 1997–98 236,787 268,963 
			 1998–99 231,222 255,618 
		
	
	Note:
	Constant price figures based on current price figures rounded to nearest 1,000 (nearest 100,000 for 2002–03 and 2003–04).
	Sources:
	HEFCW annual reports.
	HM Treasury GDP deflators used to produce constant price figures.

Lessons (Ofsted Inspections)

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of lessons recorded as set by ability in (a) Year 7, (b) Year 8, (c) Year 9, (d) Year 10 and (e) Year 11 in each state secondary school in West Sussex were inspected by Ofsted between 1995 and 2002.

David Miliband: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, David Bell, will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of his letter in the Library.

Ministerial Visits

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the (a) foreign and (b) UK visits he has made since 1 April; what the cost was to public funds of each trip; whom he met; and what gifts were received.

Stephen Twigg: The Government publishes the overall costs of all ministerial overseas travel and a list of all visits overseas by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500 on an annual basis. The list for the period 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 was published by the Prime Minister on 16 July 2003, Official Report, column 482W. The next list for the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 will be published at the end of the financial year.
	In respect of gifts received, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 14 March 2003, Official Report, column 482W.
	Details of UK visits are not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Pupil Funding

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will publish the per pupil funding for each maintained school for (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04.

David Miliband: The available information has been placed in the Library of the House. The Information is as provided by local education authorities in their section 52 budget statements. The amount a school receives is dependant on a range of allocation factors including; the fair funding formula, Standards Fund, Standards Grant, and local formulae which operates within the individual local education authority.

WORK AND PENSIONS

War Pensions

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many war disability pensioners suffering from a wholly psychiatric disorder lost their incapacity benefit in each year from 1995 to 2002.

Maria Eagle: The available information is in the table.
	
		Incapacity Benefit (IB) claims ceasing where a War Pension had been payable due to a psychiatric disorder
		
			  
		
		
			  
			 1 Sep 1998 to 31 Aug 1999 — 
			 1 Sep 1999 to 31 Aug 2000 200 
			 1 Sep 2000 to 31 Aug 2001 100 
			 1 Sep 2001 to 31 Aug 2002 100 
		
	
	Source:
	DWP Information Centre, 5 per cent samples of the Incapacity Benefit and War Pensions computer systems.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred, and exclude a small number of cases held clerically.
	2. Figures exclude IB claims ceasing due to an award of Retirement Pension.
	3. Numbers are based on very few sample cases and are therefore subject to a high degree of sampling error and should be used as a guide to the current situation only.
	4. War Pensions figures exclude cases which have been archived 18 months after cessation of the War Pension.
	5. Information prior to 1998 is only available at disproportionate cost.
	6. '—' indicates nil or negligible.

British Sign Language

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what proposals he has to recognise British Sign Language as a language; and if he will make a statement on its use by those who are hard of hearing;
	(2)  what proposals he has to increase the amount of British Sign Language/English interpreters; and what funding is available to train language tutors.

Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on 18 March 2003, Official Report, column 41WS, in which the Government recognise British Sign Language (BSL) as a language in its own right. We have made available an additional £1 million for a discrete programme of initiatives to support the statement and have said that among our priorities is increasing opportunities for people to learn BSL to a professional level. We have established a British Sign Language working group to consider priorities for allocating the additional funding and will receive their recommendations in due course.

Disability Bill

Gillian Shephard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Government will publish the Draft Disability Bill.

Maria Eagle: I refer the right hon. Member to the Written Statement given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 12–13WS.

Disability Living Allowance

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what use is made of medical reports when assessing an application for disability living allowance; and what other evidence is required to secure a grant of disability living allowance.

Maria Eagle: Entitlement to Disability Living Allowance is based on the care needs and assistance with mobility that a person requires as a result of an illness or disability rather than the diagnosis of that illness or disability. To support the information provided by the customer on the claim form, it is often necessary for the Department to obtain additional evidence from people involved in the care of the person with the illness or disability. It is for the decision maker to determine what additional evidence is necessary to enable them to decide the claim.
	Where a decision maker considers that further medical evidence is necessary to establish whether someone meets the criteria for an award of benefit they can request a report from the customers General Practitioner, or other health care professional, or a report may be requested based on an examination by an Examining Medical Practitioner, who is trained specifically in the effects of disability.
	It is of course open to the customer at any time to provide such additional evidence, both medical and non-medical, as they may choose to submit in support of their claim or appeal.

Incapacity Benefit

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of appeals against refusal of incapacity benefit were settled in favour of the claimant in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: Information on IB appeals is only available from 2000.
	The available information is in the table.
	There are a number of reasons for decisions being overturned at appeal; for example, additional evidence may be given to a tribunal that was not available to the decision maker. The Department is currently working on a number of initiatives to improve liaison with the Appeals Service and gain a better understanding of these issues.
	
		Incapacity benefit (IB) claims ceasing following a personal capability assessment (PCA), number of appeals cleared by The Appeals Service and number found in favour of the appellant in each of the last five years
		
			  1 March 2000 to 28 February 2001 1 March 2001 to 28 February 2002 1 March 2002 to 28 February 2003 
		
		
			 IB claims ceasing following a PCA(5) 86,400 91,900 106,600 
			 Appeals cleared 34,060 30,785 37,845 
			 Appeals found in favour of appellant (percentage) 13,965 (41) 13,100 (42.6) 17,535 (46.3) 
			 Percentage found in favour of appellant 41 42.6 46.3 
		
	
	(5) IB figures have been updated to include late notifications of IB ceasing and are subject to change. The most recent quarters include fewer late notifications and will be subject to significant change in future.
	Notes:
	1. Appeals figures are subject to change as more current data becomes available.
	2. IB figures are rounded to the nearest 100.
	3. Appeals figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	Source:
	DWP Information Centre

Jobseeker's Allowance

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were claiming jobseeker's allowance in (a) Somerset and (b) Taunton Deane at the end of each fiscal quarter since January 2000.

Chris Pond: The information is in the table:
	
		Number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance
		
			 Month Taunton DeaneLocal Authority Area County of Somerset 
		
		
			  
			  
			 January 2000 1,308 6,398 
			 April 2000 1,173 5,447 
			 July 2000 1,077 5,046 
			 October 2000 954 4,651 
			 January 2001 996 5,153 
			 April 2001 979 4,836 
			 July 2001 899 4,335 
			 October 2001 752 3,853 
			 January 2002 782 4,533 
			 April 2002 793 4,082 
			 July 2002 734 3,731 
			 October 2002 693 3,641 
			 January 2003 822 4,393 
			 April 2003 784 4,037 
			 July 2003 762 3,785 
		
	
	Source:
	JSAPBS
	Notes:
	1. Figures are based on a 100 per cent count of unemployment-related benefits, including clerically held cases.
	2. Somerset figures exclude Unitary Authorities within the ceremonial boundary of Somerset, namely "Bath and North East Somerset" and "North Somerset".
	3. The number of Jobseeker's Allowance claimants are normally counted on the second Thursday of a month. For example, April 2003 claimant figures represent the number of claimants at the end of business on Thursday 10 April.

Mental Health

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact of the draft Mental Health Bill on the services his Department provides for people with mental health needs.

Maria Eagle: The draft Mental Health Bill will break the automatic link between compulsory treatment and detention, allowing patients to be treated in the setting most appropriate to them. Treatment in the community will provide a positive alternative for the many patients who do not want or need to be detained in hospital and an opportunity to minimise the disruption to their lives.
	Jobcentre Plus services are designed to meet the needs of disabled people, including those with mental health problems. The reform will allow more people with complex mental health problems to access Jobcentre Plus services. Officials are considering the implications for the training of front line Jobcentre Plus staff.

Pensions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of pensioners received an income from (a) state and (b) private pension schemes in each year between 1992 and 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is given in Table 8 (state pension) and Table 14 (private pensions) of The Pensioners' Incomes Series 2001/2 a copy of which is available in the Library.

Pensions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the number of low income earners to have taken up stakeholder pensions since their inception.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is not available. Such information as is available is as follows. The 2001/02 Family Resources Survey showed that some 20 per cent. of stakeholder pension sales were to working individuals earning less than £10,000 a year, and that the majority of sales (55 per cent.) were to people earning between £10,000 and £29,999 a year.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the size of the garrison in Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: We shall continue to deploy around 400 troops in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 17 July 2003, Official Report, column 477W whether the United Kingdom has further plans to contribute to the payment of Afghan National Army salaries.

Adam Ingram: The £5 million made available through the United Nations' Trust Fund for Afghanistan to pay the salaries of the Afghan National Army is intended for use over the current financial year. We are considering whether to make any further contributions.

Aircraft Carriers

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to increase the number of escorts when the new supercarriers are commissioned.

Adam Ingram: There are no plans to increase the number of Royal Navy destroyers and frigates when the new aircraft carriers are brought into service.

Aircraft Carriers

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated cost of the new aircraft carriers is; what the estimated cost was in 1998; and if he will make a statement on the procurement status of the carriers.

Adam Ingram: The method by which the Department estimates the costs for equipment projects has changed since 1998 as a result of the adoption of resource accounting and budgeting in 1999. In 1998, the estimated cost based on a STOVL design was around £2 billion, based on 1998–99 constant prices (which excluded inflation). The estimated procurement cost of the future aircraft carriers using the innovative, adaptable design is around £3 billion at resource outturn prices (which includes compound inflation). The CVF Programme is still in the Assessment Phase and we expect to award the Demonstration and Manufacture contract in Spring 2004 as planned.

C17

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flying hours have been accumulated by RAF C17 aircraft; and how many were expected.

Adam Ingram: From June 2001, when the C17 was first available for tasking, to 31 July 2003, 11,540 hours have been flown. The original planned flying task for the aircraft was 3,000 hours per year for the seven years of the lease. From 1 April 2003, this was increased to 4,000 hours per year.

Coastal Training Craft

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the annual running cost is of P2000 class coastal training craft.

Adam Ingram: The annual running cost of the 16 P2000 class craft in financial year 2002–03 was £5.835 million. These figures include the cost of capital and depreciation. In addition the annual average maintenance cost for the P2000 fleet is £1.873 million.

Deepcut Barracks

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 11 July 2003, Official Report, column 1030W how many cases of self-harm overdoses there were at each Army barracks in each year since 1995.

Ivor Caplin: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Deepcut Barracks

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 11 July 2003, Official Report, column 1030W what assessment he has made of the reasons for self-harm incidents at Deepcut barracks since 1995; what measures are being taken to prevent further incidents; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: There are no discernible trends to the number of self-harm overdose incidents at Deepcut, although in most cases the decision to overdose appears to have been taken on the spur of the moment. Causes identified include homesickness, depression and boredom.
	A number of measures are in place in an effort to prevent self-harm incidents. As in all Army training establishments, the permanent staff at Deepcut are trained to be on the alert for signs of depression, altered behaviour and other possible indicators of self-harm; new recruits receive education on substance misuse and are encouraged to focus on themes such as looking out for each other and team cohesion. Details of helplines for a number of welfare organisations, including the Samaritans; the Army Welfare Service; and a Confidential Support Line, provided by the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association Forces Help, are promulgated widely throughout the barracks.

Defence Staff

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) service personnel of officer rank, (b) service personnel of other ranks, (c) industrial civilian personnel and (d) non-industrial civilian personnel were employed by (i) the United Kingdom Defence Standardisation team in each year since its inception and (ii) the Directorate of Standardisation in each year from its inception to its re-organisation in 1999; how many of these were employed in Scotland; what the total manning costs were for each category in each year; what the manning costs were for Scotland in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: The Directorate of Standardisation (DStan) was formed in the mid 1960s and since then has gone through a number of reorganisations and change of location. As a consequence many of the historical records no longer exist.
	What is known is that in 1978 the complement was 121 Civilian non-industrial staff and 2 Service personnel of officer rank, all working in London. Since then there has not been any industrial or non-officer service personnel within the organisation.
	In August 1983 the majority of DStan staff (83) were dispersed to Glasgow (Montrose House) with 8 posts remaining in London. In late 1986 DStan moved to the newly opened Kentigern House in Glasgow and a further three posts were transferred to Glasgow. In the years from 1996 to 2003, the total number of Dstan staff has varied between 35 and 40, between 30 and 33 of whom have worked in Scotland. More detailed, though not exhaustive, records are available from 1989 and are summarised in the following table.
	
		
			 Year Total Staff Scotland Elsewhere Non Industrial Service Approximate Costs(£ million)Scotland/Total 
		
		
			 1989 78 73 5 77 1 Not known 
			 1990 78 73 5 77 1 Not known 
			 1991 76 73 3 75 1 Not known 
			 1992 57 54 3 56 1 Not known 
			 1993 52 51 1 52 0 Not known 
			 1994 50 48 2 50 0 Not known 
			 1995 51 49 2 51 0 Not known 
			 1996 35 33 2 35 0 Not known 
			 1997 35 30 5 35 0 0.70/0.82 
			 1998 36 31 5 36 0 0.85/0.99 
			 1999 36 31 5 36 0 0.90/1.04 
			 2000 38 31 7 38 0 0.89/1.09 
			 2001 38 31 7 38 0 0.95/1.16 
			 2002 38 32 6 38 0 0.99/1.18 
			 2003 40 33 7 39 1 1.13/1.37

Defence Training

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  when the Defence Training Review Rationalisation Programme began;
	(2)  what the earliest date is on which decisions on the Defence Training Review can result in the implementation of a major relocation of service police;
	(3)  when the first major relocation from the Defence Training Review Rationalisation programme will be completed.

Adam Ingram: The intention to review defence education and individual training was announced by my right hon. and noble Friend Lord Robertson, the then Defence Secretary on 22 July 1999, Official Report, columns 614–15W, and the outcome of that review which included the recommendation for the rationalisation programme was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 27 March 2001, Official Report, columns 547–48W.
	The Ministry of Defence is currently engaging with industry to determine the most appropriate and cost effective locations for the Defence Training Establishments within the rationalisation programme. The earliest that any decisions on the locations of training units will be made is December 2004. It is anticipated that contracts with the successful bidders will be signed in 2005 and any relocations will take place after that date. Opportunities for early implementation will however be kept under review.

Destroyers

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average operating cost of (a) batch 3 type 22, (b) type 23 and (c) type 42 destroyers were in each of the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The actual cost of operating various types of frigates and destroyers will vary considerably from year to year, dependent on the tasking and maintenance undertaken during that period. Average annual operating costs, based on historic costs over the last two full financial years are given in the table. The figures include manpower, maintenance, fuel, stores and other costs (such as harbour dues), but exclude depreciation and cost of capital.
	
		£ million
		
			  Financial Year 
			  2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			  
			  
			 (a) Batch 3 Type 22 Frigate 11.9 13.1 
			 (b) Type 23 Frigate 10.3 10.3 
			 (c) Type 42 Destroyer 13.0 13.5

HMS Bridport

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for HMS Bridport.

Adam Ingram: HMS Bridport is being held in extended readiness at Faslane.

Hutton Inquiry

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria his Department used to decide which documents to disclose to the Hutton inquiry.

Geoff Hoon: We have disclosed all documents that appeared to be relevant to the inquiry's work. We have also supplied further material which the inquiry has requested.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) scientific and (b) medical evidence was used as the basis of the statements in paragraph 4.10 of his Department's report on first reflections on operations in Iraq, that there is no reliable scientific or medical evidence to suggest depleted uranium has previously been responsible for post-conflict incidences of ill-health.

Geoff Hoon: The Royal Society's independent expert Depleted Uranium Working Group recently completed an extensive review of the scientific work on potential health and environmental effects of depleted uranium (DU) munitions. The findings of the review are detailed in two reports entitled "The Health Hazards of Depleted Uranium Munitions" (2001, 2002). They support the Ministry of Defence's view that risks posed by DU to the health of soldiers on the battlefield are minimal except for a small number of extreme cases. The United States Government has carefully monitored the health of those US soldiers who were exposed in extreme circumstances when DU rounds accidentally hit their vehicles during the 1990–91 Gulf Conflict. Some seventeen of them have had DU shrapnel embedded in their bodies for the last twelve years. None of the groups shows signs of health problems attributable to DU. The offspring of the highly-exposed US veterans, amounting to some sixty children, are all healthy.
	Some 53,000 British troops took part in the 1990–91 Gulf Conflict, and some 3,300 subsequently felt the need to attend the Gulf Veterans Medical Assessment Programme. The results of the first 3,000 patients to attend have been published: 75 per cent. were found to be well, no novel or unusual conditions were found and the most common condition was found to be post-traumatic stress disorder. No evidence of ill-health due to DU exposure was found.
	The findings of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) studies in Kosovo (2001), Serbia and Montenegro (2002) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (2003) note very low levels of DU contamination which do not present immediate radioactive or toxic risks for human health. UNEP's findings are consistent with MOD's view that any DU contamination will be limited and localised and that actions to reduce any potential intakes will only be necessary in some extreme cases.

Iraq

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many (a) camp beds and (b) NBC suits and respirators were used during Telic 1; and what shortfalls there were;
	(2)  how much body armour was issued during Telic 1; and what shortfall there was.

Adam Ingram: I assume that Telic 1 relates to the period between initial deployment of troops to the Gulf region and the end of major hostilities. The quantities of camp beds, NBC suits, respirators and body armour deployed to theatre are detailed in the table. It is not possible to identify the quantities actually used during that time for which the information is not held centrally.
	
		
			 Equipment type Number issued 
		
		
			 Camp beds 25,280 
			 NBC suits 218,000 
			 S10 respirators 31,500 
			 Enhanced Combat Body Armour (ECBA) sets 38,200 
		
	
	The S10 respirator, referred to in the table, is an item of personal issue to all Service personnel, to be retained at all times; the number shown deployed to theatre was to provide replacement stocks.
	Although sufficient quantities of the equipments were supplied to theatre, I am aware that local supply difficulties may have resulted in shortfalls in some areas. In particular, some redistribution of ECBA ceramic plates was required, with priority given to front-line combat units. Supply difficulties will be addressed as part of the on-going departmental review of the operation.

Joint Service Military Training

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the risks of joint service military training.

Adam Ingram: The risks associated with the programme to create defence training establishments have been identified and are being appropriately managed and mitigated.

Joint Service Military Training

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the capital cost is of work required at RAF Halton in order to make it serviceable for joint service police training.

Adam Ingram: The initial estimate of the capital works required at the RAF Halton site to accommodate joint service police training is £90 million. This will provide modernised domestic accommodation, improved site infrastructure and a new joint police training facility.

Joint Service Military Training

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the capital cost is of work required at Chichester to provide joint police service training, excluding the MoD police;
	(2)  if he will estimate the capital cost of initiating a pilot scheme of joint service police training;
	(3)  how long it would take to begin operations if a decision were taken to start a pilot of joint service police training;
	(4)  whether his Department has done a cost benefit analysis of Chichester as a location for a pilot scheme to extend joint service police training;
	(5)  if he will permit a consortium to bid for a pilot scheme incorporating more joint military police training before completion of the Defence Training Review Rationalisation Programme.

Adam Ingram: In 1999 it was estimated that the capital works required at Chichester to provide joint police service training, excluding provision for the Ministry of Defence Police, would be £3.5 million. Subsequent study has shown that the site does not offer the opportunity for redevelopment and modernisation to accommodate the full requirement for joint police training, including the MOD Police.
	No pilot scheme is planned for joint service police training.

Joint Service Military Training

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what initial estimate he has made of the total saving from moving the Royal Military Police from Chichester to the lowest cost site, assuming maintenance of the same overall level of training output.

Adam Ingram: The initial estimate of the total savings from moving the Royal Military Police from Chichester to the lowest cost site is £695,000 per annum. In addition, a receipt from the disposal of the Chichester site will be realised. Over a 25 year period moving from the current service police, MOD Police and Guard Service training locations at Chichester, HMS Excellent, Wethersfield and Worthy Down to the benchmark site at RAF Halton is calculated to generate savings of at least £430 million.

Joint Service Military Training

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what priority he attaches to joint service military training in relation to other parts of the review of joint service activity.

Adam Ingram: Joint service training plays an important role in underpinning joint operational capability. A high priority is placed on delivering joint training when it is appropriate.

Joint Service Military Training

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether the initiation of full joint service military police training needs to await the outcome of the Defence Training Review Rationalisation Programme;
	(2)  what joint service military police training is taking place; at what cost; and what proportion (a) by number of trainees and (b) by cost of all military police training, (i) excluding and (ii) including Ministry of Defence police, it represents.

Adam Ingram: There are no plans to initiate joint Service military police training other than through the Defence Training Review rationalisation programme. However, the training at the Royal Military Police Training School (RMPTS) is open to all three Services and some common training has also been carried out with the MOD Police. In practice, personnel from the Royal Marines, Royal Navy and RAF have attended the following courses: Royal Military Police (RMP) Junior Non Commissioned Officers (JNCO), RMP Investigations, and RMP Scenes of Crime. Information for 2001–2002, which is the most recent year for which data are readily available, shows that students from the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and Royal Marines make up 2.5 per cent. of the total student throughput and represented 2.4 per cent. of the total cost of RMPTS courses.

Joint Service Military Training

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether recent experience of joint service operations in Afghanistan, the Gulf, Sierra Leone and the Falklands have resulted in joint service military training being placed at a higher priority.

Adam Ingram: We have always placed importance on joint service training. Training provided is reviewed in the light of lessons learned from all campaigns.

Joint Service Military Training

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many army military policemen have been deployed at short notice to support other service policemen to assist with incidents in operations overseas; and in how many cases.

Adam Ingram: Since January 2003, 18 members of the Royal Military Police have supported deployed Military Police assets, at short notice, for seven incidents conducted in four overseas locations.

David Kelly

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether his Department has complied with Dr. David Kelly's terms and conditions of employment in handling the matter of his discussions with Mr. Andrew Gilligan;
	(2)  on how many occasions Dr. David Kelly spoke to Mr. Andrew Gilligan; and whether his line managers knew this;
	(3)  how many of his Department's personnel have been interviewed in connection with the dossier story reported by Mr. Andrew Gilligan;
	(4)  what inquiries are being conducted by his Department into unauthorised briefings of the BBC in connection with Iraq;
	(5)  what (a) civil service and (b) MOD rules and regulations may have been infringed by Dr. David Kelly in talking to Mr. Andrew Gilligan.

Geoff Hoon: The hon. Gentleman will recognise that these are all matters that are being addressed by Lord Hutton's Inquiry. Lord Hutton will publish his report in due course. I am therefore withholding the information requested under Exemption 4a of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

David Kelly

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which journalists Mr. David Kelly has met over the past two years other than Mr. Andrew Gilligan of the BBC; and for what purpose each meeting was held; and when each meeting took place;

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 17 July 2003
	My hon. Friend will understand why it was not possible to answer these questions on the day named. These matters are now being addressed by Lord Hutton's inquiry.
	The information requested has been passed to the inquiry. Lord Hutton will publish his report in due course. I am therefore withholding the information under Exemption 4a of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Deployments

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when, since 1997, units were attached to other (a) battalions and (b) corps to bring them up to strength for the purposes of operational deployment; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: All front line units undertake regular operational deployments. The transfer of personnel to units on operational tours is and has always been a matter of routine. This information is therefore not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Royal Air Force

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of (a) the cost and (b) the time needed for decontamination when the RAF leaves RAF Lyneham;
	(2)  what recent survey he has undertaken of land and building contamination at RAF Lyneham; and if he will publish it.

Adam Ingram: A land quality assessment has been commissioned, which will detail a range of proposals for the remediation of RAF Lyneham together with the associated costs. A land quality statement, which summarises the findings of the assessment, will be made available to interested parties.

Royal Air Force

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) civilian and (b) military air movements there were at RAF Northolt in each of the last 12 months.

Ivor Caplin: The following table shows the number of military and civil air movements at RAF Northolt in each of the last 12 months:
	
		
			 Month Military Civil Total 
		
		
			 August 2002 253 277 530 
			 September 2002 372 673 1,045 
			 October 2002 419 669 1,088 
			 November 2002 386 645 1,031 
			 December 2002 224 295 519 
			 January 2003 348 431 779 
			 February 2003 328 557 885 
			 March 2003 441 635 1,076 
			 April 2003 426 519 945 
			 May 2003 474 815 1,289 
			 June 2003 529 914 1,443 
			 July 2003 465 694 1,159 
			 Total 4,665 7,124 11,789 
		
	
	Civil aircraft movements at RAF Northolt are limited to 7,000 per calendar year; the number of movements in any other 12-month period may, as in this case, exceed this figure.

Reservists

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reservists served in (a) the first Gulf War and (b) Kosovo during 1999–2001.

Ivor Caplin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Kirkcaldy (Dr. Moonie), gave him on 28 January 2003, Official Report, column 843W.

Sea Harrier

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions have been held with the Indian Government in respect of the disposal of Sea Harrier aircraft.

Adam Ingram: The Disposal Services Agency (DSA) has held no discussions with the Indian Government in respect of the disposal of Sea Harrier.

Secondments

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is on employing secondees from the private sector; how many secondees from the (a) private and (b) public sectors his Department employed in each year since 1997; from which companies and organisations they were seconded; at what level they were employed; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: The interchange of personnel between the public and commercial sectors is an important feature of the Ministry of Defence's long-standing programme to build stronger links with other sectors of the economy. This programme aims to enhance business performance by exchanging ideas, skills and experiences. Encouraging interchange activities is a key part of the Civil Service reform agenda.
	
		Inward secondments financial year 1997–1998
		
			 Parent Company or Organisation Start Date End Date Level 
		
		
			 Vickers April 1997 April 1998 B2 
			 Vosper Thornycroft April 1997 December 1999 B2 
			 Rolls Royce December 1997 December 1999 B2 
			 POSG Support Services January 1998 January 1999 Patent Officer 
			 British Aerospace March 1998 April 2001 C1 
			 Kent Probation Service March 1998 March 2003 Senior Probation Officer 
		
	
	
		Inward secondments financial year 1998–99
		
			 Parent company or organisation Start date End date Level 
		
		
			 British Aerospace May 1998 December 1999 C1 
			 Devonport Management Ltd. August 1998 August 2000 B2 
			 Simmons and Simmons September 1998 August 1999 B2 
			 Wragg and Company September 1998 March 2000 B2 
			 PA Consulting Group September 1998 August 1999 B2 
			 City and Hackney Community Service NHS Trust October 1998 October 1999 C1 
			 Gardiner and Theobalds December 1998 December 1999 B1 
			 TI Group December 1998 November 2001 SCS 
			 AWE plc December 1998 March 2002 C1 
			 British Aerospace January 1999 January 2001 C2 
			 UK Smart Procurement February 1999 February 2000  
			 BNFL March 1999 March 2000 B2 
			 West Yorkshire Probation Service January 1999 January 2004 Probation Officer 
		
	
	
		Inward secondments financial year 1999–2000
		
			 Parent company or organisation Start date End date Level 
		
		
			 MayDay NHS Trust December 1999 June 2003 B2 
			 Defence Acquisition Group April 1999 August 1999 B2 
			 Dibb, Lupton Alsop April 1999 April 2000 B2 
			 British Aerospace August 1999 July 2001 B2 
			 Price Waterhouse Coopers October 1999 October 2000 B2 
			 Marconi Electonic Systems (Avionics Group) November 1999 November 2001 B2 
			 British Aerospace November 1999 October 2001 B2 
			 GEC Marconi January 2000 March 2001 C1 
			 GKN Westlands February 2000 February 2003 B1 
			 Thomson Marconi Sonar Ltd March 2000 September 2000 C1 
			 BMT Defence Services March 2000 September 2000 C1 
			 NNC March 2000 September 2000 B2 
		
	
	
		Inward secondments financial year 2000–01
		
			 Parent company or organisation Start date End date Level 
		
		
			 Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust May 2000 May 2001 B2 
			 BAE Systems April 2000 October 2000 C1 
			 Addleshaw Booth and Company May 2000 April 2001 B2 
			 BAE Systems June 2000 June 2002 C1 
			 BAE Systems June 2000 June 2001 C1 
			 AXA Corporate Solutions August 2000 January 2001 D 
			 BAE Systems August 2000 March 2001 B1 
			 AXA plc August 2000 March 2001 D 
			 BAE Systems September 2000 March 2001 C1 
			 BAE Systems September 2000 September 2002 C1 
			 BAE September 2000 March 2001 C1 
			 Babtie Group October 2000 June 2001 C1 
			 Price Waterhouse October 2000 October 2001 C1 
			 BAE Systems November 2000 November 2003 B1 
			 URS Ltd November 2000 April 2001 B2 
			 BAE December 2000 December 2003 B1 
			 BAE Systems February 2001 September 2003 B1 
			 Ernst and Young February 2001 February 2002 C1 
			 Rolls Royce March 2001 March 2003 C2 
		
	
	
		Inward secondments financial year 2001–2002
		
			 Parent company or organisation Start date End date Level 
		
		
			 Hertfordshire Probation Service June 2001 January 2002 Probation Officer 
			 Suffolk Probation Service June 2001 November 2001 Probation Officer 
			 Manchester Probation Service June 2001 December 2001 Probation Officer 
			 QinetiQ June 2001 July 2003 B2 
			 QinetiQ July 2001 July 2003 C2 
			 Burges Salmon September 2001 April 2002 B2 
			 BAE October 01 October 2003 B1 
			 Ernst and Young October 2001 August 2002 B2 
			 Mass Consultants Ltd. February 2002 February 2006 C1 
			 Mass Consultants Ltd. March 2002 March 2006 C1 
			 AMS UK March 2001 March 2004 B1 
			 Hagglunds Vehicle AB, Sweden March 2002 January 2004 C2 
		
	
	
		Inward secondments financial year 2002–03
		
			 Parent company or organisation Start date End date Level 
		
		
			 Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust May 2002 May 2004 B2 
			 Service Children's Education August 2002 July 2003 Teacher 
			 Kennet Primary Care Trust October 2002 October 2004 C1 
			 West Midlands Health Authority November 2002 March 2003 C1 
			 Wragg and Company June 2002 March 2003 B2 
			 BAE June 2002 June 2004 SCS 
			 Rolls Royce July 2002 July 2005 B1 
			 Price Waterhouse August 2002 August 2003 B2 
			 British Nuclear Fuels Ltd September 2002 September 2005 B2 
			 BAES September 2002 September 2005 SCS 
			 BAE Systems October 2002 October 2004 B1 
			 BAES November 2002 February 2004 C1 
			 BAE Systems November 2002 May 2003 Graduate Trainee 
			 BAE Systems November 2002 November 2003 C1 
			 BAE Systems January 2003 December 2004 C2 
			 AWE April 2003 April 2005 C1 
			 AWE April 2003 April 2005 C1 
			 Rolls Royce April 2003 October 2004 C1 
			 BAES April 2003 October 2003 Graduate Trainee 
			 Lockhear Martin May 2003 May 2005 C1 
			 BAES August 2003 July 2005 C2 
			 MBDA Missile Systems September 2003 March 2004 C1 
			 BAE July 2003 January 2004 D

War Pensioners

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many of the war pensioners, suffering from a wholly psychiatric illness who lost their incapacity benefit in the three years up to 31 August 2002, subsequently lost all or part of their war disability pension; how many of these submitted a worsening condition application; and how many who did not lose all or part of their war disability pension submitted a worsening condition application;
	(2)  what the average amount lost each week in war disability pension was by those war pensioners, suffering from a wholly psychiatric illness who, having lost their incapacity benefit in the three years up to 31 August 2002, then went on to lose all or part of their war disability pension;
	(3)  what the average amount of money lost each week in war disability pension to individual war pensioners suffering from wholly psychiatric disorders was in each year from 1995 to 2002.

Ivor Caplin: The information requested is not available in the format required and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

West Freugh Airstrip

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the maintenance programme for the airstrip at West Freugh.

Ivor Caplin: Under the terms of the Long Term Partnering Agreement, QinetiQ is contracted by the Ministry of Defence to maintain the West Freugh airfield infrastructure on a care and maintenance basis.
	This level of maintenance meets MOD's requirements for the airfield and is consistent with its current status of disused and unlicensed.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions her Department have had with government representatives from (a) Armenia, (b) Azerbaijan, (c) Georgia and (d) Russia on the issue of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project; when these discussions took place; what the result of these discussions was; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: Representatives from the prospective lenders to the project, including the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD), met Government representatives from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey during a trip to the pipeline transit countries in July 2003. Discussions centred mainly on the Host Government Agreements (HGAs) entered into separately between the three countries and the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline Company. ECGD is now awaiting information from the relevant Governments about the drafting of the HGAs.
	An ECGD business principles expert also took part in a trip to the region in June 2003, where he met the Georgian Minister of Environment.
	ECGD has had no discussions with Government representatives from Armenia or Russia.
	Representatives of TradePartners UK have from time to time had meetings with Government representatives from Azerbaijan at which the project has been discussed.

Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what Government assistance has been sought by BP for the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline project; what assistance has been granted; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The project Sponsors, led by BP, have approached the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) regarding cover for the supply of UK goods and services, and for UK investments related to the project. Cover will be provided only if ECGD are satisfied that the relevant environmental, social and human rights impacts have been properly addressed and that the financial and project risks are acceptable.

Cotton

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations the Government will be making at Cancun on the effect of subsidies on cotton produced in developed countries on the economies of less developed countries; and if she will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The UK Government are committed to the Doha mandate aimed at achieving substantial reductions on trade distorting domestic support and reductions of, with a view to phasing out, all forms of export subsidies. We will push for progress on both these areas at Cancun. That way we will achieve benefits for all Developing Countries in all sectors.
	The UK Government also recognise the important role of commodities like cotton for development and poverty reduction in many developing countries. For this reason we welcome the fact that four West African countries—Benin, Chad, Mali and Burkina Faso—have come together to identify their common interests on cotton and argue their case in the WTO. The UK Government have provided Euro50,000 to the non-governmental organisation IDEAS who will offer technical assistance to these countries to strengthen their WTO case. It will, however, be important to ensure that the focus of negotiations at Cancun remains on achieving substantial reductions in agricultural support across all products to maximise gains for developing countries as a whole.

Electricity Generation

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the maximum electricity demand was in each year since 1983; and what the percentage change in maximum demand was in each year.

Stephen Timms: Available data are shown in the following table. From 1987 onwards data are for the United Kingdom. Before 1987 data are for Great Britain only. 1987 is given for both geographical bases.
	
		Simultaneous maximum demand for electricity -- MW
		
			 Year ending March Maximum demand Percentage change on a year earlier 
		
		
			 Great Britain 
			 1983 47,333 -2.5 
			 1984 47,396 +0.1 
			 1985 51,710 +9.1 
			 1986 50,943 -1.5 
			 1987 53,980 +6.0 
			   
			 United Kingdom 
			 1987 55,330  
			 1988 53,833 -2.7 
			 1989 53,555 -0.5 
			 1990 53,414 -0.3 
			 1991 54,068 +1.2 
			 1992 54,472 +0.7 
			 1993 51,663 -5.2 
			 1994 54,848 +6.2 
			 1995 52,362 -4.5 
			 1996 55,611 +6.2 
			 1997 56,815 +2.2 
			 1998 56,965 +0.3 
			 1999 56,312 -1.1 
			 2000 57,849 +2.7 
			 2001 58,425 +1.0 
			 2002 58,589 +0.3 
			 2003 61,717 +5.3 
		
	
	Source:
	Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2003 and earlier years.

Electricity Generation

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what powers she has to require the owners of out of commission generating capacity to bring it back into operation.

Stephen Timms: As stated in the Energy White Paper, we will not intervene in the market except in extreme circumstances, such as to avert, as a last resort, a potentially serious risk to safety. However, under section 34 of the 1989 Electricity Act my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry does have the power to order generators to run power plant.

Electricity Generation

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total generating capacity available from (a) coal-fired, (b) oil-fired, (c) gas-fired, (d) nuclear and (e) renewable sources was in each year since 1983.

Stephen Timms: Available data are shown in the following tables. From 1986–87 onwards data are for the United Kingdom. Before 1986–87 data are for Great Britain only and fewer types of station are identified. 1986–87 is given for both geographical bases.
	
		Electricity generating capacity -- Great Britain MW
		
			  Total Nuclear Oil-fired Other (steam coal/fired and coal/oil fired) Other (including gas turbines, oil engines and hydro) 
		
		
			  At end of financial year 
			 1982–83 64,930 6,535 11,973 40,782 5,640 
			 1983–84 61,100 6,535 9,889 38,778 5,898 
			 1984–85 61,340 6,609 9,170 38,442 7,119 
			 1985–86 61,677 7,189 8,404 38,730 7,354 
			 1986–87 61,865 7,189 8,059 32,295 7,322 
		
	
	Source:
	Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 1990 and earlier years
	
		Electricity generating capacity -- United Kingdom MW
		
			  Total Nuclear Oil-fired Coal-fired Mixed/dual fired (including gas fired non CCGT and all conventional steam plant operated by generators other than major power producers) CCGT Gas—turbine and oil engines Hydro (including pumped storage) Renewables (other than hydro 
		
		
			 1986–87 66,687 7,189 8,675 35,662 7,516 - 3,476 4,168 1 
			 1987–88 67,629 7,229 10,317 35,369 7,507 - 3,041 4,163 4 
			 1988–89 70,237 8,308 11,581 35,173 7,694 - 3,313 4,163 4 
			 1989–90 74,557 11,083 12,487 34,583 8,642 76 3,356 4,194 136 
			 1990–91 73,518 11,353 11,895 34,298 8,451 76 3,130 4,190 125 
			 1991–92 70,528 11,353 10,817 32,686 8,017 331 2,968 4,199 157 
			 1992–93 67,499 11,353 8,556 30,523 8,762 1,334 2,539 4,212 220 
			 1993–94 69,117 11,894 6,487 29,132 8,887 6,163 2,018 4,220 317 
			 1994–95 68,741 12,037 5,145 27,774 8,791 8,517 1,895 4,213 369 
			 1995–96 70,126 12,762 5,214 27,494 8,768 9,377 1,890 4,220 401 
			  At end of calendar year 
			 1996 73,271 12,916 3,989 25,796 11,637 12,462 1,721 4,243 507 
			 1997 72,865 12,946 4,069 25,796 11,015 12,716 1,526 4,244 553 
			 1998 73,380 12,956 2,829 25,324 10,176 15,643 1,492 4,263 697 
			 1999 75,446 12,956 2,829 25,581 10,332 17,353 1,333 4,265 797 
			 2000 78,288 12,486 2,933 24,835 10,416 21,058 1,323 4,273 964 
			 2001 79,488 12,486 2,933 24,835 10,309 22,294 1,323 4,296 1,012 
			 2002 76,588 12,486 2,708 22,452 10,004 22,089 1,463 4,254 1,132 
		
	
	Source:
	Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2003 and earlier years

Insider Trading

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has received on insider trading.

Jacqui Smith: None.
	Since 1 December 2001 the Financial Services Authority has been the primary enforcer of the insider dealing legislation.

Nanotechnology

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has received on the progress of nanotechnology development in the UK.

Patricia Hewitt: Since the beginning of this year, the Minister responsible for nanotechnology in my Department, my noble Friend, the Minister for Science and Innovation, has received 14 letters and has held 8 meetings concerning the progress of nanotechnology development in the UK. In addition, there has been continuous dialogue between my Department's officials in the Innovation Group and the Office of Science and Technology with industry and science based representatives across a wide range of nanotechnology related issues.

Offshore Wind Power

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria were used to select the second round sites for offshore wind licensing; and by what process companies interested in developing offshore wind in areas not cited in round two of offshore wind licensing can proceed with their plans.

Stephen Timms: The round two strategic areas, within which developers are invited to apply for site leases for offshore windfarms, were identified primarily as areas with the greatest concentration of potentially suitable sites on the basis of sea depth and proximity to the electricity grid network. A particularly sensitivity coastal strip was excluded following strategic environmental assessment of the three areas. Developers interested in developing offshore windfarms in areas outside of the round two areas should inform DTI of their plans, as indicated in the DTI's consultation paper "Future Offshore—A Strategic Framework for the Offshore Wind Industry". This information will feed in, along with the results of DTI's current review of the UK offshore marine renewable resource, to the planning of the future strategic environmental assessment programme that will determine the programme of future site leasing rounds.

Offshore Wind Power

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of the offshore wind potential off the north coast of Scotland.

Stephen Timms: In 2001 Garrad Hassan and Partners Ltd. completed a study for the Scottish Executive entitled "Scotland's Renewable Resource 2001". This included tidal stream and wave in addition to offshore wind. It can be viewed on the web at http://www. Scotland.gov.uk/enterprise/energy (click on More Information on Renewables). DTI is commissioning a survey of marine energy resources across all UK waters, which should be completed early in 2004. The results of this survey will be used to inform the programme of future strategic environmental assessments. Strategic environmental assessment of an area is necessary before that area can be offered to developers to tender for site leases for offshore renewable development.

Offshore Wind Power

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when round three of licensing for offshore wind farms will commence.

Stephen Timms: No date has yet been set for a third site leasing round for offshore wind farms. The DTI is commissioning a review of the potential UK marine renewable resource, which will inform the programme of future strategic environmental assessment work. Strategic environmental assessment of an area proposed for a future round of offshore renewable development is a requirement before a competition can be announced to invite tenders for site leases.

Postal Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the European Commission proposal to apply value added tax to all suppliers of postal services in the EU and end the exemption from VAT for Royal Mail and other national universal service providers of postal services under the 6th VAT Directive (77/388/EEC).

Stephen Timms: This is a matter for the Treasury. I understand that the European Commission proposal (9060/03 COMM(2003)234) for a Council Directive amending Directive 77/388 as regards value added tax on services provided in the postal sector was the subject of an Explanatory Memorandum deposited and sent to Scrutiny Committees by the Paymaster General on 19 May. As indicated in the Explanatory Memorandum, a Regulatory Impact Assessment for the Commission proposal will be submitted as soon as possible.

Public Service Contracts

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many public service contracts were awarded by her Department (a) in total and (b) to SMEs in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Nigel Griffiths: Governments have not collected information on the division between contracts awarded to SMEs and large businesses.
	The Small Business Service is undertaking an annual survey of Government procurement to ensure this information is available.
	(a) Central records indicate that the following numbers of contracts in total were awarded.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1999(6) 6,924 
			 2000 20,329 
			 2001 24,267 
			 2002 25,946 
			 2003(7) 7,391 
		
	
	(6) From 1 April
	(7) To 4 April
	Data for earlier years are not readily available and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	(b)
	
		Simultaneous maximum demand for electricity -- MW
		
			 Year ending March Maximum demand Percentage change on a year earlier 
		
		
			 Great Britain   
			 1983 47,333 -2.5 
			 1984 47,396 +0.1 
			 1985 51,710 +9.1 
			 1986 50,943 -1.5 
			 1987 53,980 +6.0 
			 United Kingdom   
			 1987 55,330  
			 1988 53,833 -2.7 
			 1989 53,555 -0.5 
			 1990 53,414 -0.3 
			 1991 54,068 +1.2 
			 1992 54,472 +0.7 
			 1993 51,663 -5.2 
			 1994 54,848 +6.2 
			 1995 52,362 -4.5 
			 1996 55,611 +6.2 
			 1997 56,815 +2.2 
			 1998 56,965 +0.3 
			 1999 56,312 -1.1 
			 2000 57,849 +2.7 
			 2001 58,425 +1.0 
			 2002 58,589 +0.3 
			 2003 61,717 +5.3 
		
	
	Source:
	Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2003 and earlier years

Regional Assistance Schemes

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans there are to assess the effectiveness of regional assistance schemes with particular reference to Regional Selective Assistance and Enterprise Grants; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 9 July 2003, Official Report, column 796–97W.

Technology Sector

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on Government initiatives to encourage growth in the technology sector.

Patricia Hewitt: There is a wide range of supporting initiatives to encourage growth in technology intensive sectors. These range from support for fundamental research and education in the science base via Office of Science and Technology through targeted collaborative research schemes and grants for Research and Development delivered through Business Links and the Small Business Service. Further support is given across the economy through the R&D tax credits administered by the Inland Revenue. Further details relating specifically to supporting technology and innovation will be made later this year when I publish the results of the Innovation Review.

WALES

Wanless Review

Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the need for primary legislation in order to implement the recommendations of the Review of Health and Social Care in Wales advised by Derek Wanless; and which of the four options proposed by the Review to solve the problem of bed-blocking would require primary legislation.

Don Touhig: holding answer 17 July 2003
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 17 July 2003, Official Report, column 447W.
	I have regular discussions with the Assembly Minister for Health and Social Services and we have of course covered the Wanless Report and its implications. However, it would be inappropriate to comment on the likely need for primary legislation to solve that issue at this time. The Assembly have yet to publish their detailed response and action plan which is due for publication in November.

Wanless Review

Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether his Department has had discussions with the Welsh Assembly Government about implementing the four options proposed by the Review of Health Care in Wales to solve the problem of bed-blocking.

Don Touhig: holding answer 17 July 2003
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 17 July 2003, Official Report, column 447W.
	I have regular meetings with the Assembly Minister for Health, Jane Hutt AM, during which she updates me on health policy initiatives launched by her administration.
	I am aware that the Assembly will be publishing a detailed response and action plan in the autumn and it is therefore premature to comment on implementing the recommendations of the report before then. I will of course keep the matter under review.

Devolution

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to meet the Richard Commission to discuss the future devolution settlement in Wales.

Peter Hain: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Llwyd) on 1 July 2003, Official Report, columns 257–58.

Ministerial Visits

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the (a) foreign and (b) UK visits he has made since 1 April; what the cost was to public funds of each trip; who he met; and what gifts were received.

Peter Hain: The Government publish the overall costs of all ministerial travel and a list of overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500 on an annual basis. The list for the period 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 was published by the Prime Minister on 16 July 2003, Official Report, column 482W. The next list for the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 will be published at the end of the financial year.
	I have undertaken a number of official visits in Wales since April 2003. These have included attendance at the Wales TUC Annual Conference; attending three Eisteddfods, meeting with executive members of farming unions, meeting representatives of industry and commerce and visiting Welsh manufacturing facilities.
	The total cost of these visits, including my officials was approximately £4,500.
	In respect of gifts received, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 14 March 2003, Official Report, column 482W.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Biodiversity and Bushmeat

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the terms of reference have been agreed for the inter-departmental ministerial group on biodiversity and bushmeat.

Elliot Morley: Officials are working on the arrangements for the Biodiversity working group. I hope the arrangements, which will include the terms of reference, will be concluded shortly and that the group can then meet.

Convention on the Future of Europe

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the European Constitution on her Department's responsibilities;
	(2)  what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the establishment of an EU Foreign Minister on the representation of her Department in international fora.

Ben Bradshaw: The new European Constitution is not expected to have any direct effect on this Department's responsibilities nor on its role representing the UK Government in international fora. The draft of the new Treaty prepared by the Convention on the Future of Europe for discussion at the Inter Governmental Conference this autumn retains the key provisions of the current treaties relating to the environment, agriculture and fisheries.
	The UK is however opposed to the proposal to establish a Single Legislative Council. This would weaken the direct involvement of Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers in policy formation as well as in negotiating legislation.

GM Crops

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the approvals procedure for genetically modified crops; whether she plans to amend the regulations; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: From 1998 to 2001, the UK and our EU partners conducted a thorough review of the EU procedure for assessment and approval of genetically modified organisms, including GM crops. This culminated in the revised EU Directive 2001/18, which entered into force in October 2002, replacing previous EU legislation in this area.
	The Government strongly support decision making under the updated and improved Directive. It provides a robust framework by which the UK authorities and our EU partners can make effective, evidence-based decisions on whether or not to allow the release or placing on the market of particular GM crops according to the merits of each case. The Directive has been fully transposed in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
	Notwithstanding our support for Directive 2001/18, the Government have a voluntary agreement with the UK biotech industry that GM crops will not be grown commercially in this country until we have assessed the results of our Farm Scale Evaluations (FSE) crop trials. We will review our policy on GM crops in light of the FSE results and other relevant information, including the report of the GM public debate.

GM Crops

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether GM crops that reduce acrylamide formation have been produced.

Elliot Morley: No GM crops that show reduced acrylamide formation have been trialled in the UK, and there are no current applications to market such crops in the EU. Acrylamide is formed during the cooking of some foods, and is believed to be produced as a result of a chemical reaction between the sugars and amino acids that naturally occur in foodstuffs. Recent research has indicated that acrylamide may be harmful to consumers. It might be feasible to reduce the formation of acrylamide during cooking by altering the composition of crops. This could be achieved either using conventional plant breeding or genetic modification.

GM Crops

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  by how much (a) diesel fuel consumption by farmers and (b) soil erosion would be reduced if 50 per cent. of UK sugar beet, maize and oilseed rape farmers switched to GM herbicide-tolerant varieties and conservation tillage;
	(2)  how many kilos of soil-acting herbicide would be saved if 25 per cent. of the UK forage maize crop were to be sown as GM herbicide-tolerant varieties.

Elliot Morley: It is not possible to give precise estimates of the impact of growing GM herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) crops in the UK on fuel consumption, soil erosion or herbicide usage. These issues are analysed in the report published by the Government's Strategy Unit in July on the costs and benefits of GM crops www.strategy.gov.uk. This notes the potential for GMHT crops to deliver various benefits through improved crop management practices, but does not offer firm conclusions because of the complexity of the issues and the limitations of the available evidence.

Nuclear Storage

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on discussions at European Community level on a common nuclear storage facility.

Elliot Morley: I am not aware of any such discussions. However, the European Commission has presented a proposal to the Council for a Euratom Directive on the management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. The draft Directive would require each member state to establish a clearly defined programme for radioactive waste management that includes all radioactive waste under its jurisdiction and covers all stages of management. The Commission's draft favours disposal in a deep repository, without the intention of retrieval, as the most suitable method for long-term management of the most hazardous forms of solid and solidified radioactive waste.
	The draft directive also provides that a member state's programme may include shipments of radioactive waste or spent fuel to another member state or third country if such shipments are:
	(i) fully in compliance with existing EU legislation, principally Directive 92/3/Euratom, and international commitments;
	(ii) covered by firm contracts;
	(iii) made only to states with appropriate facilities that meet accepted norms and standards of the member state of origin; and
	(iv) are conducted under adequate safeguards, where they involve ores, source materials and "special fissile materials" (uranium and plutonium).
	The Government are actively engaged in discussion of the Commission's proposal in the Council working group. However, my Department is also currently carrying out a programme of consultation and public participation to develop a long term radioactive waste management policy. That process will examine all the management options available, with no presumption in favour of deep disposal.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Anti-Semitism

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what liaison there has been between his Department and the Department for Education and Skills on dealing with anti-semitism in schools, with particular reference to teaching controversial issues.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 8 September 2003
	The Home Office and Department for Education and Skills work closely together on a number of issues some of which may be regarded as controversial. They do so in close discussion but within the confines of their own individual remits. Both Departments have worked particularly closely over the last three years in the preparation of Holocaust Memorial Day, which in addition to commemorating the victims of the Holocaust also seeks to address and confront the dangers of prejudice and discrimination today. The Department for Education and Skills produces free resources for schools for Holocaust Memorial Day, which amongst other issues addresses anti-semitism. The resources are promoted with the support and co-operation of both Departments.

Drugs

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of property crime is attributable to the misuse of Class A drugs.

Caroline Flint: Recorded crime figures include statistics on drugs offences, such as possession, and on property crimes, such as burglary, but do not record whether the latter are related to an offender's drug habits.
	However, the Home Office sponsored New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (NEW-ADAM) research programme, which involved interviewing and drug testing those arrested by the police, provides an insight into the proportion of crimes that are drug related.
	Analysis of the data from the first eight sites in the survey, collected during 1999–2000, shows that 65 per cent. of arrestees tested positive for one or more illegal drug, with up to 29 per cent. testing positive for opiates (including heroin) and/or cocaine (including crack). Whilst users of both heroin and cocaine/crack represent just under one quarter of all arrestees interviewed in NEW-ADAM, they were responsible for more than three fifths of all the illegal income reported.

Drugs

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there were of people accused of possessing Class A drugs in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Caroline Flint: There were 17,634 prosecutions for Class A drug possession offences, and 12,388 convictions, in 2000 in England and Wales.

Drugs

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimates he has made of the size of the illegal drugs market in the UK in (a) 1997, (b) 2001 and (c) the present day.

Caroline Flint: The Home Office has only produced one estimate of the size of the illegal drugs market in the UK. This was for 1998. The estimated quantity of drugs consumed over the course of a year was estimated at 566 thousand kilogrammes (this did not include ecstasy tablets, which are measured in tablets not weight. The estimated number of ecstasy tablets for the same period was 27,000). In total the estimated value of illegal drugs for that year was £6.6 billion.

Criminal Justice Bill

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for making appropriate treatment more widely available for the purposes of clause 16 of the Criminal Justice Bill.

Caroline Flint: We are already significantly expanding drug treatment provision for those referred from both the Criminal Justice system (CJS) and other sources, as part of the Updated Drug Strategy.
	Additional resources are being made available to fund this expansion. The National Pooled Treatment Budget for 2002–03 was £191 million. In 2003–04 it will increase by 23.5 per cent to £236 million and will continue to rise to £299 million by 2005–06.
	Subject to Royal Assent of the Criminal Justice Bill, the provisions under Clause 19 ("Drug users: restriction on bail", previously Clause 16) will be piloted in a limited number of areas initially, and will only be brought into force in a given area where appropriate assessment and treatment are available.

Police Custody

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many people detained by police were released within (a) 24 hours and (b) 36 hours in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many of those detained by police were released within (a) 24 hours and (b) 36 hours in the last year for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: Information is not collected centrally on the number of people detained under Part IV of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 and released within 24 hours. The number of persons detained for more than 24 hours and released without charge within 36 hours is as follows:
	
		Persons detained for more than 24 hours and released without charge—England and Wales (number and percentages)
		
			 Year Total Released within 36 hours(per cent.) Detained under warrant of further detention 
		
		
			 1997–98 674 603 (89) 71 
			 1998–99 710 650 (92) 60 
			 1999–2000 570 505 (89) 65 
			 2000–01 525 449 (86) 76 
			 2001–02(8) 505 453 (90) 52 
		
	
	(8) Figures amended since publication of 2001/02 Bulletin.
	Source:
	Home Office Statistical Bulletin 12/02: Arrest for Notifiable Offences and the Operation of Certain Police Powers under PACE, England and Wales 2001/02.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Sao Tome and Principe

Angus Robertson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development how much aid is spent multilaterally by the Department in Sao Tome and Principe (a) through the EU and (b) through the UN; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: In 2002, the EC spent Euro2.768 million in Sao Tome and Principe. Out of this, Euro1.993 million came from the European Development Fund (EDF) and Euro0.775 million from the EC's External Relations budget.
	DFID's share of the EDF in 2002 was about 12 per cent. and of the EC Budget about 19 per cent.
	In 2001, the latest year for which figures are available, the UN spent US$ 1.7 million on Sao Tome and Principe. The amount contributed by DFID to Sao Tome and Principe through the UN during this year is not available, although our core contribution to the UN agencies contributing to this country in 2001 was some £45 million.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Parliamentary Hours

Ben Chapman: To ask the Leader of the House if he will make a statement on changes to the sitting hours of the House.

Peter Hain: In October last year a majority of Members voted to alter the sitting hours so that the House now sits from 11.30 am on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Standing Orders were changed for the rest of this Parliament, which will allow us a sufficient period to make a considered judgment on the effect of the changes.

SCOTLAND

Darwin Mounds

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his participation in discussions with (a) the European Commission and (b) the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the Darwin Mounds.

Anne McGuire: Discussions involving the Government, the Scottish Executive and the European Commission led to the announcement of an EU ban on seabed trawling in the Darwin Mounds area on 20 August. The Government are proposing the notification of the Darwin Mounds as a Special Area of Conservation in a consultation paper issued today.

Common Agricultural Policy

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the effect the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy will have on Scotland.

Anne McGuire: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs made a statement on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy on 26 June. The agreement to which she referred is a good agreement for farmers, consumers and taxpayers and for the environment in the whole of the United Kingdom, including Scotland.

Post Office Accounts

Calum MacDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which banks with branches in Scotland have made agreements with the Post Office to allow the bank's customers to access their bank accounts via their local post offices.

Anne McGuire: All of the leading UK banks have made their basic bank accounts accessible at post offices as a result of the Post Office's Universal Banking Project. Agreements to access existing bank accounts at the Post Office are a commercial decision for the banks.

Scottish Agriculture College

Malcolm Savidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to discuss the future of the Scottish Agriculture College with the Scottish Executive.

Anne McGuire: The future of the Scottish Agriculture College is a matter for the Scottish Executive.

Winter Fuel Payments

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in Scotland will be eligible for Winter Fuel Payments in 2003–04; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The information requested is not available, however the number of people in Scotland who received the Winter Fuel Payment in 2002–03 is estimated to have been 1,009,090, made up of 430,665 men and 578,425 women.

Winter Fuel Payments

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many pensioner households are receiving winter fuel allowance in (a) Scotland, (b) Glasgow and (c) Glasgow, Anniesland.

Anne McGuire: In 2002/2003, 679,710 households in Scotland, 62,805 in the Glasgow parliamentary constituencies and 8,170 in Glasgow, Anniesland constituency are estimated to have received the winter fuel payment.

Health

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with other Ministers about cross-border health issues.

Anne McGuire: My right hon. Friend and I have frequent discussions with ministerial colleagues on a wide range of issues.

Fallen Stock

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Scottish Executive to discuss arrangements for the disposal of fallen stock on offshore islands.

Anne McGuire: Responsibility for agricultural matters in Scotland rests with the Scottish Executive.

Scottish Boundary Commission

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will publish the recommendations of the Scottish Boundary Commission.

Alistair Darling: I refer the hon. Lady to my reply of earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Falkirk, East (Mr. Connarty), Official Report, c. 152.

Devolution

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the devolution settlement as it affects Scotland.

Alistair Darling: The Scottish devolution settlement is well established and successful. The recent changes to the machinery of government at Westminster reflect its maturity.

Road Haulage Industry

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive about the road haulage industry in Scotland.

Alistair Darling: I have regular discussions with Scottish Ministers on a wide range of issues affecting Scotland, including transport.

TRANSPORT

Robin Rigg Windfarm

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he first discussed with the Scottish Executive the safety zones for shipping around the proposed Robin Rigg windfarm.

David Jamieson: The Scottish Executive attended a meeting on 11 February 2003 at which UK Government Departments discussed policy on the development of offshore windfarms and their impacts on the safety of navigation including the case for safety zones around such structures. The Robin Rigg windfarm was one of a number of offshore renewable energy projects discussed.

Robin Rigg Windfarm

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he first discussed the exclusion of unauthorised shipping from Robin Rigg windfarm with the Scottish Executive.

David Jamieson: My officials from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency appeared before the Convenor of the Robin Rigg Offshore Wind Farm (Navigation and Fishing) (Scotland) Bill Committee at the Bill's preliminary stage on 11 November 2002. There they were questioned about the proposals to establish an exclusion zone around the Robin Rigg Offshore Wind Farm. Their appearance before the Committee was discussed at a meeting between my officials and the Scottish Executive on 15 November 2002.

Transport Responsibilities

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on responsibility for transport between (a) parts of the United Kingdom covered by devolved Administrations, (b) England and (c) Northern Ireland.

David Jamieson: The responsibility for transport between the United Kingdom Government, devolved Administrations and Northern Ireland is outlined as follows:
	Wales
	The National Assembly for Wales's powers are limited to those functions specifically transferred to it by a Transfer of Functions Order, or conferred on it by specific primary legislation or an EU Designation Order. The functions which have been devolved in the field of transport include, among others, maintenance and improvement of the Welsh trunk road network, funding local authority expenditure on roads, a range of road safety responsibilities, concessionary parking schemes for disabled and blind people, land use and surface access planning. Railways, aviation and shipping issues in Wales are generally the responsibility of the UK Government.
	Scotland
	Unless a matter is expressly reserved to the UK Government in Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998, it is devolved. The Scottish Parliament has legislative competence in areas of transport including the Scottish road network; parking controls; promotion of road safety; bus policy; concessionary fares; cycling; taxis and minicabs; non-technical aspects of transport for disabled people; promotion and construction of new railways which start and end in Scotland; grants for passenger rail services; consultative arrangements in respect of public transport; ports, harbours, piers and boatslips; provision of freight shipping and ferry services, including CalMac; activities of Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd.; planning and environmental issues relating to airports; and inland waterways
	In addition, the Scottish Executive have power to issue directions and guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority in relation to franchised rail services that both start and end in Scotland; power to issue directions and guidance to the SRA in respect of franchised sleeper services; power to give advice to the SRA in relation to cross-border franchised rail services; applications to the EU for the designation of lifeline air services; and enforcement of vehicle emissions standards. The Executive are also the highway authority for the Scottish Trunk Road network.
	Functions reserved to the UKG in the field of transport in Scotland include transport security; transport safety and regulation, including the regulation of air transport and shipping, marine and air safety, the provision and regulation of railway services including rail safety; and marine, air and rail accident prevention and investigation; some aspects of road traffic regulation, including driver and vehicle licensing and testing, road signing, vehicle standards, general speed limits; some aspects of road safety; and technical standards relating to the transport of disabled persons.
	Northern Ireland
	While devolution in Northern Ireland is suspended, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has assumed responsibility for the direction and control of the Northern Ireland Departments including that dealing with transport.
	England
	The Secretary of State for Transport is responsible for all legislative matters regarding transport in England. He is also the highway authority for the trunk road network in England.

A27

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is his intention to undertake a safety review of the A27 between Beddingham and Polegate with a view to identifying on-line safety improvements.

David Jamieson: The Secretary of State announced on 9 July 2003 that the bypasses of Selmeston and Wilmington proposed by the south coast multi-modal study (SoCoMMS) were not acceptable in the form proposed. Therefore, he asked the Highways Agency to work with local authorities and statutory environmental bodies to identify less damaging options, including management measures that reduce the need for major road construction, and report back. The Agency will be looking at the current problems and safety issues on the existing road between Beddingham and Polegate as part of this work.

A27

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what timescale will apply to the redesign of the A27 Southerham-Beddingham scheme; what public consultation process will apply to the redesigned scheme; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Highways Agency will provide further advice on a redesigned scheme in October 2003. In the light of that advice, a recommendation will be announced together with arrangements for consultation.

Aggregate

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his Answer of 2 July 2003, Official Report, column 267W, on aggregate, what assessment his Department has made of the environmental impact of mineral extraction to provide aggregate for road building and maintenance; and when estimates of the amount of aggregate required for road improvement schemes in the Ten Year Plan will be made.

David Jamieson: Revised national and regional guidelines for the provision of aggregates for all end uses for the 16-year period 2001–16 were issued by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in June of this year. Regional Planning Bodies in England will take into account the likely environmental impacts of the implied extraction when apportioning the regional guidelines to mineral planning authority areas. Estimates of the amount of aggregate required for road improvement schemes in the Ten Year Plan will be made on a scheme specific basis as the design for each scheme is developed.

Air Quality (London)

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has collated on changes in air quality in central London since the introduction of congestion charging.

David Jamieson: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 15 May 2003, Official Report, column 339W. The position remains unchanged. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs publish regular data on pollution levels in London which can be seen at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airquality/index.htm

Car Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) of 14 July 2003, Official Report, column 26W, on car travel, if he will provide figures for 1979 to 1998.

David Jamieson: Figures for average car occupancy are available from the National Travel Survey for 1985–86 and for 1990–2000.
	
		Average car occupancy: 1985–86 to 2000
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1985–86 1.64 
			 1990 1.62 
			 1991 1.61 
			 1992 1.61 
			 1993 1.62 
			 1994 1.62 
			 1995 1.62 
			 1996 1.61 
			 1997 1.60 
			 1998 1.59 
			 1999 1.59 
			 2000 1.59 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures for 1990–2000 are estimated using the average of three years of survey data, e.g. the figure for 2000 is the average occupancy for the period 1999–2001.

Highways (Street Works)

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average cost charged to companies was by each local authority in England for the occupation of highways during street works, in each year since the introduction of the Street Works (Charges for Occupation of the Highway) (England) Regulations.

David Jamieson: To date, charges under the Street Works (Charges for Occupation of the Highway) (England) Regulations have only been applied on roads within Middlesbrough and the London borough of Camden. Comprehensive figures for charges levied are not available at this stage. However, we have appointed consultants—Halcrow—to monitor the operation of the charging scheme, and they will be reporting to us shortly with an assessment of the scheme's first 12 months. Copies of their report will be placed in the Library of the House later in the year.